Emerging role of protein kinase C in energy homeostasis: A brief overview

Core Tip

Core tip: Nutrition has important long-term consequences for health. It is one of the lifestyle factors that contribute to the development and progression of obesity (increased fat accumulation), diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases. In fact, obesity rates are increasing dramatically worldwide and obesity amplifies the risk of developing various age-related chronic diseases, such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. The prevention or management of chronic diseases is a global priority since they constitute a serious strain on health care systems and account for more than half of the deaths worldwide. Although correct lifestyle remains the mainstream solution to this problem, pharmacological strategies are also being actively seeked. Current antiobesity strategies have not controlled increasing epidemic of obesity and obesity-related disorders. We hope that a better knowledge of the molecular players and biochemical mechanism linking dietary fat to fat accumulation and development of glucose intolerance are critically needed. This review examines a way of metabolizing dietary fat into heat instead of storing them as fat, and the possibility that the “browning” of white fat is regulated by a diet-inducible kinase Protein kinase C-β (PKCβ) may help us explore new translational approaches to combat obesity, improve insulin sensitivity and potentially increase longevity. Finally, attenuation of inflammation in fat by PKCβ inhibition could have profound clinical consequences because of the large size of the fat organ and its central metabolic role.