Relationship between peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma and retinoic acid receptor alpha gene expression in obese human adipose tissue.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate in human adipose tissue a possible relationship between per oxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARgamma) and retinoic acid receptor alpha (RARalpha) gene expression, two genes involved in the control of adipocyte differentiation.


METHODS
Ten lean control women (age 31-60 y, body mass index (BMI) 18-24.7 kg/m(2)) and an obese group of 15 women (age 27-62 y, BMI 30-57.5 kg/m(2)), of whom 10 subjects were in weight-gain phase and five were in weight-loss phase.


METHODS
We assessed the relative PPARgamma and RARalpha mRNA levels in subcutaneous abdominal adipose tissue using a real-time PCR method.


RESULTS
PPARgamma mRNA level were significantly increased (+91%; P<0.01) in obese women compared to lean control women. In the obese group, we observed a PPARgamma mRNA level 42% lower in weight-loss obese than in weight-gain obese subjects. We obtained a positive correlation (r=0.56; P<0.01) between PPARgamma mRNA level and the BMI of all subjects. Relative mRNA abundance level of RARalpha in subcutaneous adipose tissue of obese subjects is significantly lower than in control subjects (-56%, P<0.01), and a negative correlation was found between PPARgamma and RARalpha mRNA levels in subcutaneous adipose tissue of subjects study (r=-0.75; P<0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
Our findings suggest that obesity is associated with an inverse relationship between PPARgamma and RARalpha expressions in human subcutaneous adipose tissue. Modulations of nuclear receptor profile could be an important event in the body's early adaptive mechanisms promoting adipose tissue plasticity and leading to the onset of obesity.
Redonnet
A
A
Laboratoire de Nutrition et Signalisation Cellulaire (USC-INRA), ISTAB, Université Bordeaux I, Talence, France.
Bonilla
S
S
Noël-Suberville
C
C
Pallet
V
V
Dabadie
H
H
Gin
H
H
Higueret
P
P
D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000378:metabolism*; D000328:Adult; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002149:Energy Intake; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D009765:Obesity / Q000378:metabolism*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D018160:Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear / Q000235:genetics*; D018168:Receptors, Retinoic Acid / Q000235:genetics*; D000072482:Retinoic Acid Receptor alpha; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics*; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood; D015430:Weight Gain; D015431:Weight Loss
C000607071:RARA protein, human; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D018160:Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear; D018168:Receptors, Retinoic Acid; D000072482:Retinoic Acid Receptor alpha; D014157:Transcription Factors; D014280:Triglycerides