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Updated: Apr 5, 2026

Differentiated Mouse Adipocytes in Primary Culture: A Model of Insulin Resistance
Published on: February 17, 2023
Strong evidence of sexual dimorphic effect of adiposity excess on insulin sensitivity
Antonella Marucci1, Claudia Menzaghi2, Massimilano Copetti3
1Research Unit of Diabetes and Endocrine Diseases, Poliambulatorio Giovanni Paolo II, IRCCS "Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza", Viale Padre Pio, 71013, San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy. a.marucci@operapadrepio.it.
Aims:
Our aims were to investigate in several large samples, with a wide range of adiposity, whether: (1) the effect of BMI on insulin sensitivity is different between sexes; (2) also waist circumference plays a sex-specific role on insulin sensitivity; and (3) serum adiponectin and resistin are mediators of such sex-dimorphic effect.
Methods:
Samples used were: Gargano study 1 (GS1), GS2 and Catania study (CS) comprising 3274 individuals. Adiponectin and resistin were measured by ELISA. Associations between variables were tested by linear models.
Results:
In all samples, relationship between BMI and HOMAIR was steeper in males than in females (BMI-by-sex interaction p = 0.04-0.0007). No interaction was observed on serum adiponectin and resistin (p = 0.40-059), which are therefore unlikely to mediate the sex-dimorphic effect of BMI on insulin resistance. Relationship between waist circumference and HOMAIR was similar between sexes in GS1 and GS2 but not in CS (waist-by-sex interaction p = 0.01), comprising much heavier individuals. This suggests that a sex-dimorphic effect of abdominal adiposity on insulin resistance is observable only in the context of high BMI.
Conclusions:
Our findings represent a proof of concept that BMI and insulin sensitivity are associated in a sex-specific manner. This may explain why females are protected from diabetes and cardiovascular disease, compared to males of similar BMI.
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