Subcutaneous or visceral adipose tissue expression of the PPAR gamma gene is not altered in the fatty (fa/fa) Zucker rat

We cloned 537 basepairs (bp) of rat partial peroxisome proliferator-activat ed receptor gamma 2 (PPAR gamma 2) cDNA and examined the effect of fasting or obesity on the expression of two isoforms of rat PPAR gamma, gamma 1 and gamma 2, in either subcutaneous or mesenteric adipose tissue specimens usi ng an RNase A protection assay. In Wistar rats, expression of both isoforms was dramatically reduced after 48 hours of fasting in the two fat tissue s pecimens. In comparing genetically obese (fa/fa) Zucker rats and lean contr ol rats, no significant difference was observed in expression of the two is oforms in either type of adipose tissue. From these findings, we conclude t hat the adipose tissue level of rat PPAR gamma depends on nutritional depri vation but is not closely associated with either obesity or insulin resista nce in obese Zucker rats. Copyright (C) 1998 by W.B. Saunders Company.