The Role of Uncoupling Protein 2 in the Development of Insulin Resistance in 3T3-L1 Adipocytes
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Date
2012-07-11
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Abstract
Type 2 Diabetes is becoming a major health concern throughout the world. Recent clinical evidence points to restoring overall insulin sensitivity as the major objective in the management of Type 2 Diabetes. Current research indicates Uncoupling Protein 2 (UCP2) may play a role in the development of insulin resistance and the onset of Type 2 Diabetes. UCP2 over expression has been linked to increases in reactive oxygen species concentration. The presence of UCP2 has been linked to the ability of the cell to perform insulin-stimulated uptake of glucose. Tumor Necrosis Factor has also been linked to increases in ROS concentration and the insulin sensitivity of the cell. This evidence suggests a link between UCP2, ROS, TNF-, and insulin resistance. The overall objective of our research is to establish the relationship between UCP2 and ROS in the context of insulin resistance in 3T3-L1 adipocytes with the specific aim of determining the effect of UCP2 expression on ROS concentration. To date we have succeeded in cloning the UCP2 gene into an inducible plasmid, pRev-TRE, inducible by the addition of Doxycycline. The development of a retroviral vector, able to integrate the pRev-TRE UCP2 plasmid into the genome of 3T3-L1 adipocytes, is currently underway. Our future work will include experiments quantifying the concentration of ROS in the presence of various levels of UCP2 expression.
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Uncoupling Protein 2, UCP2, Type 2 Diabetes, retrovirus, 3T3-L1 adipocytes