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Published on: December 7, 2017
Non-canonical NRF2 activation promotes a pro-diabetic shift in hepatic glucose metabolism
Pengfei Liu1, Matthew Dodson1, Hui Li1
1Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA.
Objective:
NRF2, a transcription factor that regulates cellular redox and metabolic homeostasis, plays a dual role in human disease. While it is well known that canonical intermittent NRF2 activation protects against diabetes-induced tissue damage, little is known regarding the effects of prolonged non-canonical NRF2 activation in diabetes. The goal of this study was to determine the role and mechanisms of prolonged NRF2 activation in arsenic diabetogenicity.
Methods:
To test this, we utilized an integrated transcriptomic and metabolomic approach to assess diabetogenic changes in the livers of wild type, Nrf2-/-, p62-/-, or Nrf2-/-; p62-/- mice exposed to arsenic in the drinking water for 20 weeks.
Results:
In contrast to canonical oxidative/electrophilic activation, prolonged non-canonical NRF2 activation via p62-mediated sequestration of KEAP1 increases carbohydrate flux through the polyol pathway, resulting in a pro-diabetic shift in glucose homeostasis. This p62- and NRF2-dependent increase in liver fructose metabolism and gluconeogenesis occurs through the upregulation of four novel NRF2 target genes, ketohexokinase (Khk), sorbitol dehydrogenase (Sord), triokinase/FMN cyclase (Tkfc), and hepatocyte nuclear factor 4 (Hnf4A).
Conclusion:
We demonstrate that NRF2 and p62 are essential for arsenic-mediated insulin resistance and glucose intolerance, revealing a pro-diabetic role for prolonged NRF2 activation in arsenic diabetogenesis.
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