Related Experiment Video For Adipocyte
Updated: Apr 14, 2026

Differentiated Mouse Adipocytes in Primary Culture: A Model of Insulin Resistance
Published on: February 17, 2023
Role of PTEN in TNFα induced insulin resistance
David A Bulger1, Jermaine Conley2, Spencer H Conner3
1Departments of Medicine and Pharmacology, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38163, USA; Medicine and Research Services, Veterans Association Medical Center, Memphis, TN 38104, USA; Wellcome Trust Medical Research Council Institute of Metabolic Science, Cambridge CB2 0QQ, UK; National Institute of Diabetes & Digestive & Kidney Disease, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
Aims/Hypothesis:
PTEN may play a reversible role in TNFα induced insulin resistance, which has been linked to obesity-associated insulin resistance (IR).
Methods:
Western blots for PTEN and p-Akt were performed on H-411E liver cells incubated with insulin, TNFα, and in selected experiments VO-OHpic vanadium complex in the presence and absence of PTEN siRNA. Total PTEN was compared to β-actin loading control and p-Akt was compared to total Akt.
Results:
Western blot and Real Time RT-PCR experiments showed increased PTEN after TNFα treatment (p = 0.04); slightly decreased PTEN after insulin treatment; and slightly increased PTEN after insulin + TNFα treatment. PTEN siRNA markedly inhibited the TNFα-induced increase in PTEN (p < 0.01) without significantly changing the p-Akt levels. The vanadium complex, exhibiting insulin-like effects, also significantly prevented the TNFα-induced increase in PTEN. Combining insulin and VO-OHpic was additive, providing both proof of concept and insight into mechanism.
Discussion:
The PTEN increase due to TNFα treatment was reversible by both PTEN siRNA knockdown and VO-OHpic treatment. Thus, PTEN is identified as a potential new therapeutic target for reducing IR in Type 2 DM.
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