Octanoate attenuates adipogenesis in 3T3-L1 preadipocytes

Preadipocytes exposed to octanoate accumulate less lipid than cells exposed to long-chain fatty acids. This effect of octanoate involves significant attenuation of expression of key adipogenic transcription factors, including peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)γ, steroid regulatory binding element protein (SREBP)-1c and CCAAT element binding protein (C/EBPα) at both the mRNA and protein levels. Expression of differentiation markers, including adipocyte fatty acid binding protein (ALBP), glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GPDH) and leptin, was also significantly diminished by octanoate. However, octanoate did not prevent the decrease in preadipocyte factor-1 (Pref-1) expression that occurs during adipogenesis, nor did it inhibit the early induction of C/EBP β,δ. Treatment with synthetic PPARγ ligands partially offset the inhibitory effect of octanoate on differentiation. Ectopic expression of PPARγ2 in 3T3-L1 cells partially restored lipid accretion and GPDH activity in octanoate-treated cells. Adding octanoate together with troglitazone attenuated the effects of troglitazone on adipocyte differentiation in both normal 3T3-L1 cells and engineered 3T3-L1 cells that expressed ectopic PPARγ2, implying that octanoate might compete against troglitazone for its binding to PPARγ. These results suggest that octanoate may block adipogenesis at least in part by its influence on the expression/activation of PPARγ.