High Temperature Effects on Obesity and Insulin Resistance in Mice

In the modern world, obesity is a prevalent metabolic disorder that impacts individual health and healthcare systems. A recent study in Life Metabolism explores how high temperature can alleviate insulin resistance in obese mice by enhancing ceramide breakdown in skeletal muscle tissue (SMT). Researchers observed that high temperature treatment improved insulin resistance by promoting SMT glycogen synthesis and activating the breakdown of ceramides. The study also revealed the role of heat shock factor 1 (HSF1) and heat shock proteins (HSPs) in this process, linking high temperature exposure to sphingolipid metabolism in obesity.

The degradation of ceramides was found to be dependent on the expression of acid ceramidase N-acylsphingosine amidohydrolase 1 (ASAH1). Inhibition of ASAH1 mitigated the high temperature-induced insulin resistance in skeletal muscle tissue of diet-induced obese mice. These findings offer valuable insights into potential strategies for addressing obesity and insulin resistance through the modulation of sphingolipid metabolism, paving the way for hyperthermia therapy as a novel approach to treating metabolic diseases.