Examinando por Autor "Medina-Gómez, Gema"

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Mitochondria and endocrine function of adipose tissue
(Elsevier, 2012) Medina-Gómez, Gema
Excess of adipose tissue is accompanied by an increase in the risk of developing insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes (T2D) and other complications. Nevertheless, total or partial absence of fat or its accumulation in other tissues (lipotoxicity) is also associated to these complications. White adipose tissue (WAT) was traditionally considered a metabolically active storage tissue for lipids while brown adipose tissue (BAT) was considered as a thermogenic adipose tissue with higher oxidative capacity. Nowadays, WAT is also considered an endocrine organ that contributes to energy homeostasis. Experimental evidence tends to link the malfunction of adipose mitochondria with the development of obesity and T2D. This review discusses the importance of mitochondrial function in adipocyte biology and the increased evidences of mitochondria dysfunction in these epidemics. New strategies targeting adipocyte mitochondria from WAT and BAT are also discussed as therapies against obesity and its complications in next future.
Mitochondrial Fusion Is Increased by the Nuclear Coactivator PGC-1ß
(PLoS ONE, 2008-10-31) Liesa, Marc; Borda-d'Água, Bárbara; Medina-Gómez, Gema; Lelliott, Christopher J.; Paz, José Carlos; Rojo-Álvarez, José Luis; Palacín, Manuel; Vidal-Puig, Antonio; Zorzano, Antonio
There is no evidence to date on whether transcriptional regulators are able to shift the balance between mitochondrial fusion and fission events through selective control of gene expression. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Here, we demonstrate that reduced mitochondrial size observed in knock-out mice for the transcriptional regulator PGC-1beta is associated with a selective reduction in Mitofusin 2 (Mfn2) expression, a mitochondrial fusion protein. This decrease in Mfn2 is specific since expression of the remaining components of mitochondrial fusion and fission machinery were not affected. Furthermore, PGC-1beta increases mitochondrial fusion and elongates mitochondrial tubules. This PGC-1beta-induced elongation specifically requires Mfn2 as this process is absent in Mfn2-ablated cells. Finally, we show that PGC-1beta increases Mfn2 promoter activity and transcription by coactivating the nuclear receptor Estrogen Related Receptor alpha (ERRalpha). CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Taken together, our data reveal a novel mechanism by which mammalian cells control mitochondrial fusion. In addition, we describe a novel role of PGC-1beta in mitochondrial physiology, namely the control of mitochondrial fusion mainly through Mfn2.
The protective role of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma in lipotoxic podocytes
(Elsevier, 2023) Carrasco, Almudena G.; Izquierdo-Lahuerta, Adriana; Valverde, Ángela M.; Ni, Lan; Flores-Salguero, Elena; Coward, Richard J.; Medina-Gómez, Gema
Podocytes are specialized epithelial cells that maintain the glomerular filtration barrier. These cells are susceptible to lipotoxicity in the obese state and irreversibly lost during kidney disease leading to proteinuria and renal injury. PPARγ is a nuclear receptor whose activation can be renoprotective. This study examined the role of PPARγ in the lipotoxic podocyte using a PPARγ knockout (PPARγKO) cell line and since the activation of PPARγ by Thiazolidinediones (TZD) is limited by their side effects, it explored other alternative therapies to prevent podocyte lipotoxic damage. Wild-type and PPARγKO podocytes were exposed to the fatty acid palmitic acid (PA) and treated with the TZD (Pioglitazone) and/or the Retinoid X receptor (RXR) agonist Bexarotene (BX). It revealed that podocyte PPARγ is essential for podocyte function. PPARγ deletion reduced key podocyte proteins including podocin and nephrin while increasing basal levels of oxidative and ER stress causing apoptosis and cell death. A combination therapy of low-dose TZD and BX activated both the PPARγ and RXR receptors reducing PA-induced podocyte damage. This study confirms the crucial role of PPARγ in podocyte biology and that their activation in combination therapy of TZD and BX may be beneficial in the treatment of obesity-related kidney disease.