An important mechanism involved in the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes is elevation of plasma free fatty acids which induce insulin resistance and may impair both β-cell function and mass (β-cell lipotoxicity). The objective of my thesis was to investigate the role of oxidative stress in β-cell lipotoxicity, using in vivo, ex vivo, and in vitro models. I used in vivo models of 48h i.v. oleate or olive oil infusion in Wistar rats followed by hyperglycemic clamps, or islet secretion studies ex vivo, and in vitro models of 48h exposure to oleate in isolated islets. My first study showed that 48h oleate infusion decreased the insulin response to a hyperglycemic clamp, an effect prevented by coinfusion of the antioxidants N-acetylcysteine and taurine. Similar to the findings in vivo, 48h infusion of oleate decreased glucose stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS) ex vivo, and induced oxidative stress in isolated islets, effects prevented by coinfusion of the antioxidants N-acetylcysteine, taurine, or tempol. Islets exposed to oleate or palmitate showed a decreased insulin response to high glucose and increased levels of oxidative stress, effects prevented by taurine. Therefore, my data are the first demonstration that oxidative stress plays a role in the decrease in β-cell secretory function induced by prolonged exposure to FFA, in vitro and in vivo. My second study addressed downstream effects of oxidative stress involving inflammation. A 48h infusion of oleate or olive oil decreased β-cell function during a hyperglycemic clamp, an effect prevented by coinfusion of the IKKβ inhibitor salicylate. GSIS in isolated islets was impaired by olive oil or oleate and restored by salicylate. These results suggest a potential role for both oxidative stress and inflammation in lipid-induced β-cell dysfunction. My third study addressed downstream effects of oxidative stress involving β-cell insulin signalling. A 48h infusion of oleate or olive oil decreased β-cell function during a hyperglycemic clamp, an effect prevented by coinfusion of the tyrosine phosphatase inhibitor bisperoxovanadate. GSIS in isolated islets was impaired by olive oil or oleate and restored by bisperoxovanadate, suggesting a role of FFA in decreasing β-cell function by induction of β-cell insulin resistance.

Elevated circulating free fatty acids (FFA) cause hepatic insulin resistance; however, the mechanisms for this process are incompletely understood. The objective of the studies in the thesis was to examine whether protein kinase C (PKC)-delta (d), oxidative stress, and the serine kinase IkBa kinase (IKK) B are causally involved in FFA-induced hepatic insulin resistance. To test this, we infused rats with lipid with or without inhibitors of the aforementioned factors for 7h, during the last 2h of which a hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp was performed. In Study 1, inhibition of hepatic PKC-d using antisense oligonucleotide prevented FFA-induced membrane translocation of PKC-d, which is a marker of its activation, in parallel with prevention of lipid-induced hepatic insulin resistance, without affecting lipid-induced peripheral insulin resistance. These results implicate PKC-d as a causal mediator of FFA-induced hepatic insulin resistance. In Study 2, the antioxidant N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC) prevented lipid-induced hepatic insulin resistance in conjunction with reversal of lipid-induced increase in markers of IKKB and c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase 1 (JNK1) activation, and of impairment of insulin signaling, without affecting PKC-d membrane translocation and increase in phosphorylated p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) induced by lipid infusion. These findings suggested that oxidative stress is a causal mediator of lipid-induced hepatic insulin resistance upstream of IKKB and JNK1, and potentially downstream of PKC-d and p38 MAPK. In Study 3, sodium salicylate, an IKKB inhibitor, prevented FFA-induced hepatic insulin resistance via restoration of hepatic insulin signaling, thus implicating IKKB as a causal factor in the process. Together, the results from these studies demonstrate that PKC-d, oxidative stress, and IKKB are causally involved in FFA-induced hepatic insulin resistance and suggest that the sequence for the process is: FFA -> PKC-d -> oxidative stress -> IKKB -> impaired hepatic insulin signaling.

An important mechanism involved in the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes is elevation of plasma free fatty acids which induce insulin resistance and may impair both β-cell function and mass (β-cell lipotoxicity). The objective of my thesis was to investigate the role of oxidative stress in β-cell lipotoxicity, using in vivo, ex vivo, and in vitro models. I used in vivo models of 48h i.v. oleate or olive oil infusion in Wistar rats followed by hyperglycemic clamps, or islet secretion studies ex vivo, and in vitro models of 48h exposure to oleate in isolated islets. My first study showed that 48h oleate infusion decreased the insulin response to a hyperglycemic clamp, an effect prevented by coinfusion of the antioxidants N-acetylcysteine and taurine. Similar to the findings in vivo, 48h infusion of oleate decreased glucose stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS) ex vivo, and induced oxidative stress in isolated islets, effects prevented by coinfusion of the antioxidants N-acetylcysteine, taurine, or tempol. Islets exposed to oleate or palmitate showed a decreased insulin response to high glucose and increased levels of oxidative stress, effects prevented by taurine. Therefore, my data are the first demonstration that oxidative stress plays a role in the decrease in β-cell secretory function induced by prolonged exposure to FFA, in vitro and in vivo. My second study addressed downstream effects of oxidative stress involving inflammation. A 48h infusion of oleate or olive oil decreased β-cell function during a hyperglycemic clamp, an effect prevented by coinfusion of the IKKβ inhibitor salicylate. GSIS in isolated islets was impaired by olive oil or oleate and restored by salicylate. These results suggest a potential role for both oxidative stress and inflammation in lipid-induced β-cell dysfunction. My third study addressed downstream effects of oxidative stress involving β-cell insulin signalling. A 48h infusion of oleate or olive oil decreased β-cell function during a hyperglycemic clamp, an effect prevented by coinfusion of the tyrosine phosphatase inhibitor bisperoxovanadate. GSIS in isolated islets was impaired by olive oil or oleate and restored by bisperoxovanadate, suggesting a role of FFA in decreasing β-cell function by induction of β-cell insulin resistance.

Fructose consumption has increased exponentially during the past four decades. The physiological effects of a high fructose diet include obesity and insulin resistance. In animal models, the effects of a high fructose diet on fat distribution are inconclusive in that some studies find increases in body mass and lipids while others find no effect. Recent findings indicate that a high fructose diet causes hippocampal insulin resistance in hamsters, raising the possibility that the diet causes impairments in cognition. The following experiments tested the hypotheses that a high fructose diet alters fat distribution rather than total body mass and impairs hippocampal-dependent memory. Results indicated that the high fructose diet did not affect fat distribution, but did increase plasma triacylglycerides. Interestingly, the diet also impaired spatial reference memory in the Morris water maze, and this effect was correlated with plasma triacylglycerides. These results indicate that a high fructose diet impairs brain function.

Biodiesel is the most successful drop-in biofuel used in transportation. It can reduce GHG emissions in transportation by 50 to 90% depending on the type of feedstock used. Waste cooking oils and fats containing free fatty acids (FFA) are less expensive feedstocks for biodiesel production than refined vegetable oils. The major issue that limits the use of these oils as feedstock is the interference of FFAs with widely used base catalyzed reaction processes. The FFAs consume base catalyst, produce water of neutralization and form soaps that create emulsions downstream in the process reducing process yields. There is an important need to develop technologies that reduce the FFA content in these oils to below 0.5 wt%; the accepted limit for a feedstock to be processed by the base catalysed reaction. Enzymes are an efficient and environmentally friendly catalyst for FFA esterification. However, they are prone to deactivation with methanol and also catalyze the hydrolysis of esters and triglycerides to FFA. Using them to pre-treat oils and fats remains a challenge: in the presence of water, enzymes can readily produce FFAs from lipids. The objective of this work was to investigate two enzymatic processes to pre-treat acidic oil below the FFA requirement of 0.5 wt%. In this study, two different continuous systems, a packed bed reactor (PBR) and membrane reactor (MR) were used in FFA enzymatic esterification to meet the 0.5 wt% requirement, improve the reusability of enzymes and reduce catalyst cost. The esterification in the PBR was carried out using CALB immobilized on a new 2D/3D nanoplatelet support (TAN). The enzyme was covalently bonded to the TAN using a hydrophobic epoxy ligand. Acidic oil containing canola oil and 2.5 wt% FFA was used as the feedstock for the esterification. It was found that the FFA concentration met the quality specification of <0.5 wt% using CALB-TAN, while it did not using the commercial Novozym 435. The surface fluid velocity was found to have an effect on the removal of water from the PBR reactor. When the velocity was too low, water was retained in the reactor and the FFA conversion was low, when it was too high the reaction time for esterification was not sufficient. It was found that feed velocity of 3 to 6 x 10-5 m/s met the 0.5 wt% requirement. In the PBR, the use of CALB-TAN successfully eliminated the hydrolysis of TG and achieved the continuous esterification of FFA for 42 days. In the MR, acidic oil containing canola oil and 10 wt% FFA was used as the feedstock for the esterification. The enzyme adsorbed on the surface of the polar phase containing glycerol and water and was successfully retained in the reactor by a 0.2-micron ceramic membrane. The addition of glycerol increased the polarity of the dispersed phase in the reactor, bounded water, and retained the liquid enzyme in the reactor. However, the added glycerol in the reactor increased the operating pressure of the reactor. The operating pressure was reduced by adding biodiesel to the feedstock prior to treatment. The lowest level of FFA from the 10 wt% FFA feedstock was 0.68 wt%. This would require a second polishing step to reach the required 0.5 wt%. The PBR and MR using CALB are technologies that limit the hydrolysis at low FFA concentrations and are promising for the pre-treatment of acidic feedstocks in base catalysed biodiesel processes.

The aim of this diploma thesis was to evaluate the occurrence of ketones and free fatty acids in milk of high-yielding cows. Ketosis is a very common metabolic disorder in dairy cows resulting in reduced milk production, fertility disturbance and more frequent occurrences of other diseases. Ketosis is not only a serious health problem, but also an economic problem, that can be avoided by balancing the feeding dose respecting the physiological needs of energy delivery after birth and at the beginning of lactation of high-yielding cows. The monitoring was carried out in 2016 at Chyšná, which is one of the centers of Agribusiness Košetice a.s. Owerall were 1407 cows monitored during the 6 utility tests (from January to June 2016). The occurrence of subclinical ketoses was defined by the content of ketones in milk (acetone and beta-hydroxybutyric acid). Critical was the period of the first 12 days of lactation, when the occurence of subclinical ketoses was the highest, the occurence of this disease was lower than in other breeds. At Chyšná breeding, the low incidence of subclinical ketoses is mainly influenced by zootechnical work and by working with the feed consultant and the company for the production of compound feeds. As a precautionary process, regular feed analysis and examination of free fatty acids and ketones in milk can be recommended.

Orientador: Antonio Jose de Almeida Meirelles, Christianne Elisabete da Costa Rodrigues / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Engenharia de Alimentos / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-08T12:11:40Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Sa_LeticiaAndradede_M.pdf: 1111674 bytes, checksum: 4740d77e5f31018175a3214d8d9ef4da (MD5) Previous issue date: 2007 / Resumo: O processo de desacidificação do óleo de soja por extração líquido-líquido (ELL) foi estudado em uma coluna de discos rotativos perfurados (PRDC), operada de modo contínuo e contra-corrente. Foram estudados sistemas-modelo formados por óleo de soja refinado com adição artificial de aproximadamente 2% de ácido linoléico comercial. Até o momento, os estudos de desacidificação de óleos vegetais por ELL realizados no Laboratório de Extração, Termodinâmica Aplicada e Equilíbrio (ExTrAE) haviam sido feitos com óleos que apresentavam teores mais altos de acidez (3 a 8%). O diferencial deste trabalho está no fato de o óleo de soja bruto apresentar baixa acidez (cerca de 2%). Outro diferencial foi a utilização de temperatura superior (50 °C) à ambiente e teor mais elevado de água no solvente, permitindo diminuir a perda de óleo neutro sem uma diminuição significativa da capacidade de o solvente extrair os ácidos graxos livres. Os experimentos foram analisados por metodologia de superfície de resposta, que permitiu avaliar a influência do teor de água no etanol (0 a 12% em massa) e da velocidade de rotação dos discos (50 a 150 rpm) na transferência de acidez e na perda de óleo neutro. Os resultados experimentais mostraram que é possível obter um óleo refinado com teor de acidez abaixo do exigido pela legislação (< 0,3%) quando se utiliza etanol anidro. Entretanto, para se atingir este objetivo utilizando altos teores de água no solvente, deve-se aumentar a altura da região de extração da coluna para transferir maior quantidade de ácidos graxos livres e para que a perda de óleo neutro seja no máximo 3%, inferior ao valor das perdas relatadas na literatura para o refino químico / Abstract: The deacidification process of soybean oil by continuous liquid-liquid extraction (LLE) was evaluated in a perforated rotating discs contactor column (PRDC). It were studied model-systems formed by refined soybean oil with artificial addition of approximately 2% of commercial linoleic acid. Until the moment, the studies of vegetable oils deacidification by LLE accomplished in the Laboratory of Extraction, Applied Thermodynamic and Equilibrium (ExTrAE) had been carried out with oils that presented higher acidity (3 to 8%). The differential of this work is in the fact that the crude soybean oil has low acidity level. Another differential was the use of a temperature (50 °C) higher than the environment and higher water contents in the solvent, allowing to reduce the loss of neutral oil without a significant reduction of the capacity of the solvent to extract the free fatty acids. The experiments were analyzed by response surface methodology, that allowed to evaluate the influence of the water in the ethanol (0 to 12% in mass) and the rotating speed of the discs (50 to 150 rpm) in the acidity transfer and on the loss of neutral oil. The experimental results showed that it is possible to obtain a refined oil with low acidity, below the required by legislation (< 0.3%) when anhydrous ethanol is used. However to reach this objective using high contents of water in the solvent, the height of the extraction region of the column must be increased to transfer greater to amount of free fatty acids and so that the loss of neutral oil is low (maximum 3%), less than the value of losses related in literature for the chemical refining / Mestrado / Mestre em Engenharia de Alimentos

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento CientÃfico e TecnolÃgico / A produÃÃo de biodiesel por reaÃÃo de transesterificaÃÃo à realizada geralmente usando Ãleos com baixo Ãndice de acidez, restringindo o mÃtodo ao uso de uma pequena variedade de Ãleos vegetais. MatÃrias primas com elevado Ãndice de acidez podem ser utilizadas como rota alternativa para a produÃÃo de biodiesel. O objetivo desta dissertaÃÃo foi produzir Ãcidos graxos a partir de Ãleos residuais (com percentual de Ãcidos graxos superior a 1%) por saponificaÃÃo assistida por ultrassom, seguida por hidrÃlise Ãcida. A aplicaÃÃo de ondas ultrassÃnicas teve o intuito de acelerar o processo de produÃÃo de Ãcidos graxos, diminuindo o tempo da reaÃÃo de saponificaÃÃo. Os Ãcidos graxos foram produzidos a partir do Ãleo de fritura de palma e do Ãleo de peixe por reaÃÃo de saponificaÃÃo assistida por ultrassom seguida de hidrÃlise Ãcida. Um planejamento experimental foi realizado para avaliar as condiÃÃes operacionais razÃo molar Ãlcool:Ãleo, concentraÃÃo de KOH e temperatura para o Ãleo de fritura e razÃo molar Ãlcool:Ãleo, concentraÃÃo de KOH para o Ãleo de peixe, uma vez que a temperatura nÃo mostrou ser uma variÃvel estatisticamente significativa. Para as reaÃÃes com o Ãleo de fritura, a maior conversÃo obtida foi de 97,3% a uma temperatura de 60ÂC, com razÃo molar 3:1 e concentraÃÃo de KOH de 0,3%. Para as reaÃÃes com o Ãleo de peixe, empregando as mesmas condiÃÃes reacionais para o Ãlcool e para o KOH, apenas 78,5% de conversÃo em Ãcidos graxos foi alcanÃado. Essa conversÃo um pouco menor para o Ãleo de peixe, quando comparada com o Ãleo de fritura, està relacionada com sua alta viscosidade, que acaba por impedir uma melhor miscibilidade entre os reagentes. Um estudo comparativo entre as reaÃÃes de saponificaÃÃo do Ãleo de fritura foi realizado usando o mÃtodo convencional de refluxo e o assistido por ultrassom. O resultado apresentou uma diferenÃa satisfatÃria para a reaÃÃo assistida por ultrassom, com uma diferenÃa de 39,2% de conversÃo nos cinco primeiros minutos de reaÃÃo quando comparada com a reaÃÃo submetida ao refluxo. Depois de produzidos, os Ãcidos graxos foram esterificados com Ãlcool metÃlico na presenÃa de Ãcido sulfÃrico como catalisador. No planejamento experimental realizado para as reaÃÃes de esterificaÃÃo dos Ãcidos graxos, as variÃveis razÃo molar Ãlcool:Ãcido e concentraÃÃo de catalisador foram significativas estatisticamente. AtravÃs dos experimentos, as curvas cinÃticas foram construÃdas. A produÃÃo de biodiesel a partir de Ãcidos graxos de fritura assistida por ultrassom obteve conversÃes superiores a 96% (especificaÃÃo exigida pela ANP). Ao aplicar a metodologia descrita no respectivo trabalho (aplicaÃÃo do ultrassom na reaÃÃo de saponificaÃÃo), uma alta conversÃo de Ãcidos graxos à alcanÃada em tempos reacionais reduzidos, mostrando ser uma Ãtima matÃria prima para a produÃÃo de biodiesel. / The production of biodiesel by means of transesterification reaction is usually carried out using oils with low acid index. As such, the direct use of this method is restricted to a small number of oils. But raw materials with high acid index still can be used for biodiesel production. The objective of this study is to produce biodiesel from waste oils, with more than 1% of free fatty acids, by means of saponification followed by acid hydrolysis and esterification. The process will be carried out by ultrasound technology. The use of ultrasound aimed increasing the reaction rate and to diminish the total time of reaction. The free fatty acids were produced from waste palm oil and fish oil (Nile tilapia oil). An experimental planning based on response surface methodology was carried out to evaluate the main operating conditions: alcohol to oil molar ratio, KOH concentration and temperature. The highest yield of free fatty acids from waste palm oil, 97.3%, was obtained operating at 60oC, alcohol to oil molar ratio of 3 and 0.3% KOH. The highest yield of free fatty acids from fish oil, 78.5%, was obtained operating at 30oC, alcohol to oil molar ratio of 3 and 0.3% KOH. The lower yield observed for fish oil was related to the higher viscosity of the oil during processing, which prevents good miscibility between the components. A comparative study between the conventional method and the ultrasound technology on the production of biodiesel from waste palm oil showed that the application of ultrasound increased by 39.2% the conversion of oil into free fatty acids during the first 5 min of reaction. The free fatty acids were esterified with methanol using sulfuric acid as catalyst. An experimental planning based on response surface methodology was carried out to evaluate the main operating conditions of the esterification of the free fatty acids: alcohol to free fatty acids molar ratio and catalyst concentration. A dynamic study was also carried out for the production of biodiesel from free fatty acids. The yield of biodiesel from palm free fatty acids was higher than 96%, lower limit specified by ANP for the commercialization of biodiesel. The methodology developed in this study showed that high yield of free fatty acids was obtained at short reaction times being a good methodology to produce biodiesel.

Para uma produção eficiente e economicamente viável de ésteres é necessária a utilização de catalisadores durante o processo, uma vez que a transesterificação e a esterificação são reações de equilíbrio, sendo necessário deslocar o equilíbrio de reação na direção desejada. Nesse trabalho, ésteres metílicos e etílicos de ácidos graxos de cadeia longa foram produzidos usando cloretos de cobre como catalisadores. Para definir a melhor condição reacional, foram estudadas três diferentes razões em massa de AGLs de dendê/ metanol (ou etanol) / catalisador. Definida a melhor condição reacional, foram produzidos monoésteres metílicos e etílicos a partir de ácidos graxos livres do destilado da soja assim como das borras do refino correspondente do óleo de soja e de dendê. Os ésteres metílicos e etílicos foram caracterizados através das técnicas de cromatografia gasosa acoplada à espectrometria de massas (CG/MS) e ressonância magnética nuclear de prótons (RMN 1H). Observou-se que as reações empregando cloreto de cobre como catalisador reagem preferencialmente com AGLs em relação aos triésteres. Dentre esses ácidos graxos livres, os de cadeia insaturada, são os que reagem mais facilmente com o catalisador. Em relação ao álcool empregado, observou-se que as reações em etanol são mais rápidas que as realizadas em metanol, devido a facilidade de solubilização do catalisador e matéria prima lipídica no etanol. A reação com metanol, por sua vez ocorre de forma mais lenta, devido a solubilidade parcial entre os reagentes no meio e consequentemente, com separação instantânea de duas fases ao término da agitação, facilitando a extração do produto. A ampliação da estequiometria de reação em 160 e 80 vezes, para o catalisador anidro e hidratado, respectivamente, em relação a massa de AGLs de dendê foi obtida com sucesso em ambos os catalisadores, mostrando a viabilidade do emprego do cloreto de cobre como catalisador em escala industrial e a possibilidade de ser estendido a outras matérias primas. Desse modo, a utilização do cloreto de cobre como catalisador na reação de ácidos graxos livres de cadeia longa ou de óleos vegetais se constitui em uma metodologia simples e prática, sendo uma opção viável para a produção de monoalquil esteres de cadeia longa em condições brandas de reação quando comparada aos métodos já estabelecidos e utilizados inclusive em escala industrial. / For an economically feasible and efficient production of esters is necessary to use catalysts in the esterification and transesterification reactions, which are reversible. It is necessary to shift the reaction equilibrium in the desired direction. In this work we developed a novel reaction to produce methyl and ethyl esters of long chain fatty acids using copper chloride as catalysts. To establish optimal reaction conditions, we studied three different mass ratios of FFAs palm (or soybean) / methanol (or ethanol) / catalyst. Employing the best reaction conditions, methyl and ethyl mono-esters were produced from free fatty acid of the soybean oil deodorization distillate (DDOS) as well as the corresponding refined soybean and palm oil. The methyl and ethyl esters were characterized by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC / MS) and proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR). It was observed that reactions using copper chloride as catalyst are faster with free fatty acids than with neutrals refined oils. Among these, free fatty acids of unsaturated chain react faster than the saturated ones. Regarding the alcohol employed, it was observed that the reactions in ethanol are faster than those performed in methanol, due to higher of solubility of the catalyst and feedstock lipid in ethanol. The reaction with methanol, in turn occurs more slowly, due to partial solubility of the reactants in the solvent that results in, instantaneous phases separation. The scale up of reaction at 80 and 160 times for both, anhydrous and hydrated catalyst, was successfully performed showing the feasibility of this novel process use in industrial scale. Thus, the use of copper chloride as the catalyst in the reaction of long chain free fatty acids constitutes a simple and practical methodology, being a feasible option for the production of long chain monoalkyl esters under mild conditions compared to methods already established and also used in industrial scale.

La néphropathie diabétique (ND), principale cause d’insuffisance rénale chronique, est caractérisée par une dysfonction des podocytes rénaux. Cette dysfonction podocytaire peut être causée par une résistance à l’insuline induite suite à l’exposition des podocytes aux acides gras libres (AGL). L’un des mécanismes par lequel les AGL réduisent les actions de l’insuline serait l’activation de la voie de Mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR). Les objectifs sont de caractériser les mécanismes de résistance à l’insuline par les AGL dans les podocytes et d’étudier l’implication de la voie du complexe mTORC1 menant à la ND dans un modèle de diabète de type 2. In vivo, la fonction et la pathologie rénale des souris diabétiques de type 2 (db/db) ont été évaluées. Des podocytes murins ont été cultivés pendant 96 h en conditions normales (5,6 mM, NG) ou élevées (25 mM, HG) de glucose avec ou sans palmitate (25 μM) pour les dernières 24 h. In vitro, les podocytes exposés en HG ont montré une diminution de l’activation d’Akt induite par l’insuline. Le palmitate seul a diminué de 50% l’activation d’Akt alors que la combinaison HG + palmitate a accentué cette diminution en la réduisant de 72%. Cette inhibition se ferait via la phosphorylation en sérine d’IRS1. En effet, en présence de palmitate, la phosphorylation d’IRS1 (ser307) est augmentée d’environ 2 fois. De plus, la phosphorylation d’IRS1 par le palmitate est corrélée à une augmentation de la phosphorylation de mTOR (ser2448) et de son substrat S6 (ser240/244). L’inhibition de la voie de signalisation de l’insuline par la voie mTOR serait due à l’activation de la PKC-α suite à une stimulation au palmitate. Pour ce qui est de mTORC2, la phosphorylation inhibitrice de Rictor (thr1135) augmente de 47% en présence de palmitate. In vivo, dans les souris db/db, l’augmentation des marqueurs de la ND (albuminurie, expansion du mésangium, hypertrophie du glomérule et expression de TGF-beta) est associée à une élévation de la p-mTOR, p-Rictor et de p-S6 dans les glomérules rénaux. En conclusion, le phénomène de résistance à l’insuline par les AGL dans les podocytes serait causé par l’activation de PKC-α/mTORC1 menant à la phosphorylation d’IRS1 en sérine 307, un mécanisme complémentaire aux actions de l’hyperglycémie, et contribuant de façon indépendante à la progression de la ND. De plus, l’inhibition du complexe mTORC2 contribue à la diminution de la signalisation de la voie de l’insuline. / Abstract : Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is the leading cause of chronic renal failure in diabetic patients and is characterized by the dysfunction of podocytes. Our laboratory has shown that hyperglycemia caused podocyte insulin unresponsiveness and cell death via the upregulation of PKC- and SHP-1, a tyrosine phosphatase. In contrast, free fatty acids (FFA)-induced insulin resistance in podocytes is not associated with SHP-1 expression. Thus, other signaling pathways could be implicated including the activation of the Mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) complexes pathway. The aim of this study was to investigate the insulin resistance mechanisms caused by FFA in podocytes leading to DN in type 2 diabetes. In vitro, cultured podocytes were exposed to normal (5.6 mmol/L; NG) or high glucose (25 mmol/L; HG) levels for 96 h and to palmitate (25 µmol/L) the last 24h with or without insulin stimulation (10 nmol/L). As previously showed, podocytes exposed to HG decreased Akt activation upon insulin stimulation. Palmitate treatment alone reduced insulin-induced Akt phosphorylation by 50% while a combination of palmitate and HG blunted Akt activation by 72%. The inhibition of Akt by palmitate was associated with the increase of PKC- activation leading to mTOR phosphorylation and its substrate S6. Moreover, the mTORC1 complex activation enhanced the serine 307 phosphorylation of IRS1 known to de-activate IRS1. Furthermore, palmitate also mediated the mTORC2 complex inhibition via the Thr1135 phosphorylation of Rictor. In vivo, the implication of mTORC1 complex in DN development was evaluated using 25 weeks old type 2 diabetes mice (db/db). Mice developed increased albuminuria, mesangial cell expansion and glomerular hypertrophy compared to non-diabetic mice, which correlated with the phosphorylation of mTOR, Rictor and S6. In conclusion, elevated FFA levels caused activation of PKC-/mTORC1 pathway and inhibition of mTORC2 leading to insulin resistance in podocytes and DN progression.