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Updated: Jan 30, 2026

Differentiated Mouse Adipocytes in Primary Culture: A Model of Insulin Resistance
Published on: February 17, 2023
Cinnamon Polyphenol Extract and Insulin Regulate Diacylglycerol Acyltransferase Gene Expression in Mouse Adipocytes
Heping Cao1, Kandan Sethumadhavan2, Ke Li3
1U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Southern Regional Research Center, 1100 Robert E. Lee Blvd, New Orleans, LA, 70124, USA. Heping.Cao@ars.usda.gov.
Abstract:
Cinnamon polyphenol extract (CPE) improves people with insulin resistance. The objective was to investigate CPE and insulin on diacylglycerol acyltransferase (DGAT) gene expression important for lipid biosynthesis and compared it to anti-inflammatory tristetraprolin/zinc finger protein 36 (TTP/ZFP36) gene expression known to be regulated by both agents. Mouse 3T3-L1 adipocytes and RAW264.7 macrophages were treated with insulin and CPE followed by qPCR evaluation of DGAT and TTP mRNA levels. Insulin decreased DGAT1 and DGAT2 mRNA levels in adipocytes but had no effect on DGAT1 and increased DGAT2 mRNA levels 3-fold in macrophages. Insulin increased TTP mRNA levels 3-fold in adipocytes but had no effect in macrophages. CPE effect on DGAT1 gene expression was minimal but increased DGAT2 mRNA levels 2-4 fold in adipocytes and macrophages. CPE increased TTP mRNA levels 2-7 fold in adipocytes and macrophages. We conclude that CPE and insulin exhibited overlapping and independent effects on DGAT and TTP gene expression and suggest that CPE and insulin have profound effects on fat biosynthesis and inflammatory responses.
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