PMID- 36586433 OWN - NLM STAT- MEDLINE DCOM- 20230225 LR - 20240224 IS - 2212-8778 (Electronic) IS - 2212-8778 (Linking) VI - 68 DP - 2023 Feb TI - Knockout of TSC2 in Nav1.8+ neurons predisposes to the onset of normal weight obesity. PG - 101664 LID - S2212-8778(22)00233-2 [pii] LID - 10.1016/j.molmet.2022.101664 [doi] LID - 101664 AB - OBJECTIVE: Obesity and nutrient oversupply increase mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling in multiple cell types and organs, contributing to the onset of insulin resistance and complications of metabolic disease. However, it remains unclear when and where mTOR activation mediates these effects, limiting options for therapeutic intervention. The objective of this study was to isolate the role of constitutive mTOR activation in Nav1.8-expressing peripheral neurons in the onset of diet-induced obesity, bone loss, and metabolic disease. METHODS: In humans, loss of function mutations in tuberous sclerosis complex 2 (TSC2) lead to maximal constitutive activation of mTOR. To mirror this in mice, we bred Nav1.8-Cre with TSC2(fl/fl) animals to conditionally delete TSC2 in Nav1.8-expressing neurons. Male and female mice were studied from 4- to 34-weeks of age and a subset of animals were fed a high-fat diet (HFD) for 24-weeks. Assays of metabolism, body composition, bone morphology, and behavior were performed. RESULTS: By lineage tracing, Nav1.8-Cre targeted peripheral sensory neurons, a subpopulation of postganglionic sympathetics, and several regions of the brain. Conditional knockout of TSC2 in Nav1.8-expressing neurons (Nav1.8-TSC2(KO)) selectively upregulated neuronal mTORC1 signaling. Male, but not female, Nav1.8-TSC2(KO) mice had a 4-10% decrease in body size at baseline. When challenged with HFD, both male and female Nav1.8-TSC2(KO) mice resisted diet-induced gains in body mass. However, this did not protect against HFD-induced metabolic dysfunction and bone loss. In addition, despite not gaining weight, Nav1.8-TSC2(KO) mice fed HFD still developed high body fat, a unique phenotype previously referred to as 'normal weight obesity'. Nav1.8-TSC2(KO) mice also had signs of chronic itch, mild increases in anxiety-like behavior, and sex-specific alterations in HFD-induced fat distribution that led to enhanced visceral obesity in males and preferential deposition of subcutaneous fat in females. CONCLUSIONS: Knockout of TSC2 in Nav1.8+ neurons increases itch- and anxiety-like behaviors and substantially modifies fat storage and metabolic responses to HFD. Though this prevents HFD-induced weight gain, it masks depot-specific fat expansion and persistent detrimental effects on metabolic health and peripheral organs such as bone, mimicking the 'normal weight obesity' phenotype that is of growing concern. This supports a mechanism by which increased neuronal mTOR signaling can predispose to altered adipose tissue distribution, adipose tissue expansion, impaired peripheral metabolism, and detrimental changes to skeletal health with HFD - despite resistance to weight gain. CI - Copyright (c) 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier GmbH.. All rights reserved. FAU - Brazill, Jennifer M AU - Brazill JM AD - Department of Medicine, Division of Bone and Mineral Diseases, Washington University, Saint Louis, MO, USA. Electronic address: jbrazill@wustl.edu. FAU - Shin, David AU - Shin D AD - Department of Medicine, Division of Bone and Mineral Diseases, Washington University, Saint Louis, MO, USA. Electronic address: mingyu.shin@wustl.edu. FAU - Magee, Kristann AU - Magee K AD - Department of Medicine, Division of Bone and Mineral Diseases, Washington University, Saint Louis, MO, USA. Electronic address: mkristann@gmail.com. FAU - Majumdar, Anurag AU - Majumdar A AD - Department of Medicine, Division of Bone and Mineral Diseases, Washington University, Saint Louis, MO, USA. Electronic address: anuragm@wustl.edu. FAU - Shen, Ivana R AU - Shen IR AD - Department of Medicine, Division of Bone and Mineral Diseases, Washington University, Saint Louis, MO, USA. Electronic address: ivana.shen@wustl.edu. FAU - Cavalli, Valeria AU - Cavalli V AD - Department of Neuroscience, Washington University, Saint Louis, MO, USA; Center of Regenerative Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA; Hope Center for Neurological Disorders, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA. Electronic address: cavalli@wustl.edu. FAU - Scheller, Erica L AU - Scheller EL AD - Department of Medicine, Division of Bone and Mineral Diseases, Washington University, Saint Louis, MO, USA; Center of Regenerative Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA; Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, Washington University, Saint Louis, MO, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University, Saint Louis, MO, USA. Electronic address: scheller@wustl.edu. LA - eng GR - T32 AR060719/AR/NIAMS NIH HHS/United States GR - P30 DK020579/DK/NIDDK NIH HHS/United States GR - R56 AR081251/AR/NIAMS NIH HHS/United States GR - P30 AR074992/AR/NIAMS NIH HHS/United States PT - Journal Article PT - Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural PT - Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't DEP - 20221228 PL - Germany TA - Mol Metab JT - Molecular metabolism JID - 101605730 RN - EC 2.7.11.1 (TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases) RN - 0 (TSC2 protein, human) RN - 0 (Tsc2 protein, mouse) RN - EC 2.7.1.1 (MTOR protein, human) RN - EC 2.7.1.1 (mTOR protein, mouse) RN - Tuberous Sclerosis 2 SB - IM MH - Animals MH - Female MH - Humans MH - Male MH - Mice MH - Diet, High-Fat/adverse effects MH - Mammals/metabolism MH - Mice, Knockout MH - Neurons/metabolism MH - Obesity/metabolism MH - TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases/metabolism MH - *Tuberous Sclerosis/complications MH - Weight Gain PMC - PMC9841058 OTO - NOTNLM OT - Anxiety OT - Bone OT - High fat diet OT - Itch OT - Nav1.8 OT - Neurometabolism OT - Normal weight obesity OT - Sensory nerve OT - Skinny fat OT - mTOR COIS- Conflict of interest The authors have no conflict of interest to declare. EDAT- 2023/01/01 06:00 MHDA- 2023/02/08 06:00 PMCR- 2022/12/28 CRDT- 2022/12/31 19:12 PHST- 2022/07/20 00:00 [received] PHST- 2022/12/22 00:00 [revised] PHST- 2022/12/23 00:00 [accepted] PHST- 2023/01/01 06:00 [pubmed] PHST- 2023/02/08 06:00 [medline] PHST- 2022/12/31 19:12 [entrez] PHST- 2022/12/28 00:00 [pmc-release] AID - S2212-8778(22)00233-2 [pii] AID - 101664 [pii] AID - 10.1016/j.molmet.2022.101664 [doi] PST - ppublish SO - Mol Metab. 2023 Feb;68:101664. doi: 10.1016/j.molmet.2022.101664. Epub 2022 Dec 28.