S-resistin, a non secretable resistin isoform, impairs the insulin signalling pathway in 3T3-L1 adipocytes

S-resistin is a non-secretable resistin spliced variant, which is expressed mainly in the white adipose tissue from Wistar rats. Previous results confirmed that 3T3-L1 cells expressing s-resistin (3T3-L1-s-res) showed an inflammatory response and exhibited a decrease in glucose transport, both basal and insulin-stimulated. Here we present evidences demonstrating for the first time that s-resistin, like resistin, blocks insulin signalling pathway by inhibiting insulin receptor, insulin receptor substrate 1, protein kinase B/Akt and the mammalian target of rapamycin phosphorylation, and increasing the suppressor of cytokine signalling 3 levels being the later probably due to augmented of leptin expression. Thus, our data suggest that s-resistin could act by a still unknown intracrine pathway as an intracellular sensor, regulating the adipocyte insulin sensitivity.