CTRP1 prevents high fat diet-induced obesity and improves glucose homeostasis in obese and STZ-induced diabetic mice

BACKGROUND: C1q/tumor necrosis factor-related protein 1 (CTRP1) is an adipokine secreted by adipose tissue, related to chondrocyte proliferation, inflammation, and glucose homeostasis. However, the therapeutic effects on metabolic disorders and the underlying mechanism were unclear. Here, we investigated the functions and mechanisms of CTRP1 in treating obesity and diabetes. METHODS: The plasmid containing human CTRP1 was delivered to mice by hydrodynamic injection, which sustained expression of CTRP1 in the liver and high protein level in the blood. High-fat diet (HFD) fed mice and STZ-induced diabetes model were used to study the effects of CTRP1 on obesity, glucose homeostasis, insulin resistance, and hepatic lipid accumulation. The lipid accumulation in liver and adipose tissue, glucose tolerance, insulin sensitivity, food intake, and energy expenditure were detected by H&E staining, Oil-Red O staining, glucose tolerance test, insulin tolerance test, and metabolic cage, respectively. The metabolic-related genes and signal pathways were determined using qPCR and western blotting. RESULTS: With high blood circulation, CTRP1 prevented obesity, hyperglycemia, insulin resistance, and fatty liver in HFD-fed mice. CTRP1 also improved glucose metabolism and insulin resistance in obese and STZ-induced diabetic mice. The metabolic cage study revealed that CTRP1 reduced food intake and enhanced energy expenditure. The mechanistic study demonstrated that CTRP1 upregulated the protein level of leptin in blood, thermogenic gene expression in brown adipose tissue, and the gene expression responsible for lipolysis and glycolysis in white adipose tissue (WAT). CTRP1 also downregulated the expression of inflammatory genes in WAT. Overexpression of CTRP1 activated AMPK and PI3K/Akt signaling pathways and inhibited ERK signaling pathway. CONCLUSION: These results demonstrate that CTRP1 could improve glucose homeostasis and prevent HFD-induced obesity and fatty liver through upregulating the energy expenditure and reducing food intake, suggesting CTRP1 may serve as a promising target for treating metabolic diseases. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12967-022-03672-5.