Unbuckling lipodystrophy from insulin resistance and hypertension.

Lipodystrophy and insulin resistance are the core features of human PPARgamma deficiency states. Metabolic complications in PPARgamma deficiency, such as hypertension, have been considered to be secondary to insulin resistance. However, a new mouse model that expresses the analog of a human PPARG mutation displays minimal lipodystrophy and insulin resistance but rather severe hypertension. Furthermore, the mutant protein appears to directly modulate the renin-angiotensin system in adipose tissue, providing evidence of the pleiotropic effects of PPARgamma.