Expression of resistin in the adipose tissue is modulated by various factors including peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha.
OBJECTIVE
Resistin has been suggested to link obesity to diabetes by antagonizing insulin action. However, this model is based on limited observations and how resistin links the two complex processes is not known. In this study, we investigated the effects of various factors on the expression of resistin and examined the generality of the proposal.


METHODS
Total RNA was isolated from the adipose tissues of lean, obese and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)alpha-null mice fed a control diet or that contained a PPAR ligand, and analysed by Northern blotting using cDNAs for resistin, leptin, aP2 and other mRNAs as probes. For quantitative analysis, an image analyser was used.


RESULTS
Basal expression of resistin mRNA was suppressed by obesity, but the extent of suppression differed significantly among the mouse strains and types of adipose tissue examined. Anti-diabetic thiazolidinediones induced resistin expression in the lean mice and showed smaller effects in obese mice. Furthermore, PPARalpha was shown to play an important role in constitutive expression of resistin in the adipose tissue.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results indicated that diverse factors modulate the expression of resistin in the adipose tissues of mice, and suggested that resistin is not a master hormone linking obesity to diabetes.
Department of Biochemistry, Meiji Pharmaceutical University, Kiyose, Tokyo, Japan.
Y
Y
Fukui
K
K
Motojima
D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000187:drug effects; D006729:Hormones, Ectopic / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D051379:Mice; D020932:Nerve Growth Factor; D009765:Obesity / Q000378:metabolism; D011506:Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D018160:Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear / Q000378:metabolism; D052243:Resistin; D013844:Thiazoles / Q000494:pharmacology; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism
D006729:Hormones, Ectopic; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D011506:Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D018160:Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear; D052243:Resistin; C499623:Retn protein, mouse; C413576:Retnla protein, mouse; D013844:Thiazoles; D014157:Transcription Factors; D020932:Nerve Growth Factor