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Updated: Nov 26, 2025

Differentiated Mouse Adipocytes in Primary Culture: A Model of Insulin Resistance
Published on: February 17, 2023
Uncovering the role of apolipoprotein C-III in insulin resistance
David Aguilar-Recarte1, Xavier Palomer1, Manuel Vázquez-Carrera1
1Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Therapeutic Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Sciences, University of Barcelona, Institute of Biomedicine of the University of Barcelona (IBUB), Spain; Spanish Biomedical Research Center in Diabetes and Associated Metabolic Diseases (CIBERDEM)-Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Spain; Research Institute-Hospital Sant Joan de Déu, Barcelona, Spain.
Abstract:
Apolipoprotein C-III (apoC-III) is a small protein that is predominantly synthesized in the liver and mainly resides at the surface of triglyceride-rich lipoproteins. Its expression is upregulated by glucose and reduced by insulin, with enhanced apoC-III promoting hypertriglyceridemia and inflammation in vascular cells. The protein is also elevated in patients with diabetes, suggesting that enhanced apoC-III levels might contribute to the development of type 2 diabetes mellitus. The present review focuses on the key mechanisms by which apoC-III could promote type 2 diabetes mellitus, including exacerbation of insulin resistance in skeletal muscle, activation of β-cell apoptosis, promotion of weight gain through its effects on white adipose tissue and hypothalamus, and attenuation of the beneficial effects of high-density lipoproteins on glucose metabolism. Therapeutic strategies aimed at reducing apoC-III levels may not only reduce hypertriglyceridemia but also might improve insulin resistance, thus delaying the development of type 2 diabetes mellitus.
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