Ectopic expression of RBP4 impairs the insulin pathway and inguinal fat deposition in mice.

A large body of evidence has linked retinol-binding protein 4 (RBP4) to systemic insulin resistance, but little is known about its function in fat deposition. This study aimed to confirm the involvement of RBP4 in inguinal fat deposition and insulin by intraperitoneal injection of adenovirus-mediated RBP4 to mice. Intraperitoneal injection of adenoviral vectors was validated as an efficient gene manipulation tool for over-expressing recombinant proteins in vivo. Ectopic expression of RBP4 decelerated inguinal fat deposition by decreasing the size of adipocytes. Moreover, the introduction of exogenous RBP4 blunted the response of inguinal adipocytes to insulin signals. These findings suggest that RBP4 impaired in vivo adipogenesis, partly through the repression of the insulin pathway.