Effects of fenofibrate on lipid metabolism in adipose tissue of rats.

The effect of fenofibrate, a peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha agonist, on body weight gain and on reduction of adipose tissue pads has been ascribed to increased fat catabolism in liver mainly through the induction of target enzymes involved in hepatic lipid metabolism. The aim of this study was to investigate whether peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha activation also affects metabolic pathways in adipose tissue of rats treated with fenofibrate (100 mg/kg body weight) for 9 days. Fenofibrate lowered body weight gain and plasma triglyceride, total cholesterol, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol but had no influence on food intake and on plasma glucose levels. The activity of lipoprotein lipase of treated animals decreased 50% in epididymal, 29% in retroperitoneal, and was not affected in the mesenteric fat pads. In this study, we show a 34% decrease in epididymal adipose tissue de novo lipogenesis by fenofibrate. The results demonstrate that insulin sensitivity of lipolysis is decreased in fenofibrate-treated rats which resulted in 30% higher rate of glycerol release when compared to the control group. These findings suggest that besides its effects on liver, fenofibrate exerts effects on lipid metabolism in adipose tissue which may contribute to decreasing adiposity.