Camptothecin and topotecan inhibit adipocyte differentiation by inducing degradation of PPARγ

Camptothecin is an anti-cancer drug extracted from Camptotheca acuminata, a tree native to mainland China. Phase III clinical trials for camptothecin have been completed, and it is now used as a chemotherapeutic reagent. We identified a novel function of camptothecin that affects adipocyte differentiation. Following treatment with camptothecin, endogenous or overexpressed PPARγ becomes destabilized; this was prevented in the presence of MG132, a proteasome inhibitor. Our findings suggest that camptothecin is able to induce proteasome-dependent degradation of PPARγ. The ubiquitylation of PPARγ increased in the presence of camptothecin. Adipogenic differentiation of 3T3-L1 cells was prevented by campothecin and topotecan, but not by irinotecan, confirming our initial findings. Our results suggest a possible role for camptothecin analogs in the regulation of PPARγ.