Background: CaMKIV has been identified as a potential regulator of skeletal muscle glucose metabolism and insulin gene expression. However, the mechanism of CaMKIV involved in adipose insulin resistance is not fully understood. Autophagy has to be shown as a potential therapeutic target for endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and insulin resistance. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of CaMKIV on the ER stress, autophagic function and insulin signaling in tunicamycin induced adipocytes.
Methods: In the present study, we first used tunicamycin to establish a cell model of ER stress. Then recombinant CaMKIV and/or targeted-siRNA of CREB and mTOR were added into medium of tunicamycin-induced adipocytes. The ER stress indicators, autophagy activation, mTOR/CREB signaling and insulin sensitivity were analyzed by western blotting or electron microscopy.
Results: The results suggested CaMKIV not only reversed tunicamycin-induced ER stress, but also improved impaired insulin sensitivity through regulating abnormal autophagy in adipocytes. Moreover, CaMKIV inhibited activated ER stress and elevated insulin sensitivity in Atg7-/- adipocytes. However, the protective effects of CaMKIV were nullified by suppression of mTOR or CREB in tunicamycin induce adipocytes, suggesting that CaMKIV could inhibit ER stress, suppress autophagy and restore insulin signaling at least partly through mTOR/CREB signaling.
Conclusion: We conclude that CaMKIV inhibits ER stress and improves insulin signaling through reduction of autophagy in adipocytes viamTOR/CREB signaling, which could be regarded as novel opportunities for treatment of obesity and type 2 diabetes.