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Updated: Jun 2, 2026

Measuring the Rate of Lipolysis in Ex Vivo Murine Adipose Tissue and Primary Preadipocytes Differentiated In Vitro
Published on: March 17, 2023
Expression and nutritional regulation of the (pro)renin receptor in rat visceral adipose tissue
V Achard1, V Tassistro, S Boullu-Ciocca
1Aix-Marseille University, Laboratoire d'Histologie-Embryologie, Marseille, France.
Background:
Early life nutritional environment plays an important role in the development of visceral adipose tissue and interacts with nutritional regulations in adulthood, leading to metabolic dysregulations.
Aim:
We hypothesized that the renin-angiotensin system may play a role in the programming-induced development of visceral adipose tissue.
Material And Methods:
We studied, using a model of programming of overweight and glucose intolerance, obtained by post-natal overfeeding with consecutive highfat diet, the status of plasma renin activity and mesenteric adipose renin-angiotensin system, including the recently identified (pro)renin receptor, in adult rats.
Results:
Post-natal overfeeding or high-fat feeding lead to overweight with increased visceral fat mass and adipocytes surface. When both paradigms were associated, adipocytes surface showed a disproportionate increase. A strong immunoreactivity for (pro)renin receptor was found in stromal cells. Plasma renin activity increased in programmed animals whereas (pro)renin receptor expressing cells density was stimulated by high-fat diet. There was a positive, linear relationship between plasma renin activity and (pro)renin receptor expressing cells density and adipocytes surface.
Conclusions:
Our experiments demonstrate that association of post-natal overfeeding and high-fat diet increased plasma renin activity and adipose (pro)renin receptor expression. Such phenomenon could explain, at least in part, the associated disproportionate adipocyte hypertrophy and its accompanying increased glucose intolerance.
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