Toxicogenomics in the 3T3-L1 cell line, a new approach for screening of obesogenic compounds.

The obesogen hypothesis states that together with an energy imbalance between calories consumed and calories expended, exposure to environmental compounds early in life or throughout lifetime might have an influence on obesity development. In this work, we propose a new approach for obesogen screening, i.e.

Expression of obesity markers and Persistent Organic Pollutants levels in adipose tissue of obese patients: reinforcing the obesogen hypothesis?

Introduction: Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) accumulate in adipose tissue and some are described to possess endocrine disrupting capacities. Therefore, it is important to evaluate their effects on key endocrine pathways in adipose tissue (AT), to further evaluate their potential role in metabolic pathologies such as obesity.

Objectives: THE AIM IS TWOFOLD: (i) evaluate gene expression levels of obesity marker genes, i.

Evaluation of a screening system for obesogenic compounds: screening of endocrine disrupting compounds and evaluation of the PPAR dependency of the effect.

Recently the environmental obesogen hypothesis has been formulated, proposing a role for endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) in the development of obesity. To evaluate this hypothesis, a screening system for obesogenic compounds is urgently needed. In this study, we suggest a standardised protocol for obesogen screening based on the 3T3-L1 cell line, a well-characterised adipogenesis model, and direct fluorescent measurement using Nile red lipid staining technique.

Insulin resistance and environmental pollutants: experimental evidence and future perspectives.

Background: The metabolic disruptor hypothesis postulates that environmental pollutants may be risk factors for metabolic diseases. Because insulin resistance is involved in most metabolic diseases and current health care prevention programs predominantly target insulin resistance or risk factors thereof, a critical analysis of the role of pollutants in insulin resistance might be important for future management of metabolic diseases.

Objectives: We aimed to critically review the available information linking pollutant exposure to insulin resistance and to open the discussion on future perspectives for metabolic disruptor identification and prioritization strategies.

Evaluation of the INS-1 832/13 cell line as a beta-cell based screening system to assess pollutant effects on beta-cell function.

Environmental pollutants have recently emerged as potential risk factors for metabolic diseases, urging systematic investigation of pollutant effects on metabolic disease processes. To enable risk assessment of these so-called metabolic disruptors the use of stable, robust and well-defined cell based screening systems has recently been encouraged. Since beta-cell (dys)functionality is central in diabetes pathophysiology, the need to develop beta-cell based pollutant screening systems is evident.