Skip to content
Open access

Decreased expression of the PPARG, ADIPOQ, and SLC2A4 genes in subcutaneous adipose tissue in bariatric patients with morbid obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus

Jul 2026 · Obesity and Metabolism · Vol 23, pp. 43-53 · 0 citations · 31 references

TL;DR

The development of T2DM on the basis of obesity and BMI of more than 35 kg/m 2  is associated with reduced expression levels of the PPARG, ADIPOQ, LEP, LEP and SLC2A4 genes in SAT and VAT, and changes in gene expression in obesity were associated with a decrease in adiponectin and an increase in leptin serum concentrations.

Abstract

Background

Adipose tissue (AT) is an active endocrine organ that produces biologically active molecules — adipokines, which participate in lipid and glucose metabolism. The imbalance of adipokine secretion in obesity is a consequence of AT dysfunction, which at the molecular genetic level is manifested as changes in the expression of the key genes, and can be complicated by the development of metabolic disorders, in particular type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

Aim

The aim of this study was to investigate the expression level of  PPARG, ADIPOQ, LEP ,  SLC2A4  genes in subcutaneous and visceral adipose tissue (SAT and VAT) in bariatric patients with obesity and T2DM, as well as to assess the correlation of adiponectin and leptin serum concentrations with the expression of corresponding genes.

Materials And Methods

The single-center, cross-sectional, two-sample, comparative, observational case-control study included patients with grade II, III, IV obesity with/without T2DM, as well as non-obese individuals who applied to the Pavlov First Saint Petersburg State Medical University for bariatric (patients) and planned abdominal surgeries (control group), SAT and VAT samples, as well as blood serum, were collected. Real-time polymerase chain reaction was used to determine the mRNA levels of target genes in AT. Adiponectin and leptin serum concentrations were assesed by enzyme immunoassay.

Results

The group of bariatric patients included 53 patients (mean age 44.1±11.2 years; body mass index (BMI) over 35 kg/m 2 ), including 26 patients with a diagnosis of T2DM and 27 without T2DM. The control group included 15 individuals without obesity, metabolic disorders and T2DM (mean age 46.7±12.8; BMI less than 30 kg/m 2 ). In patients with obesity and T2DM, a decrease in the level of  PPARG ,  ADIPOQ  and  SLC2A4  gene expression in SAT was observed compared to the control group. The level of  PPARG  and  ADIPOQ  gene expression was also reduced in VAT in patients with obesity and T2DM compared to the control group. The observed changes in gene expression in obesity were associated with a decrease in adiponectin and an increase in leptin serum concentrations, with the most pronounced decrease in adiponectin concentration in patients with obesity and T2DM. Unidirectional positive correlations were observed in the expression levels of  PPARG ,  ADIPOQ ,  LEP ,  SLC2A4  genes in SAT and VAT in the total cohort .

Conclusion

The development of T2DM on the basis of obesity and BMI of more than 35 kg/m 2  is associated with reduced expression levels of the  PPARG ,  ADIPOQ  and  SLC2A4  genes in SAT, a marked decrease in the concentration of adiponectin and an increase in the concentration of leptin in the blood serum.

Read PDF

Similar papers

Open access Aug 2026

Polyphenols intake and expression of insulin signaling genes in adipose tissue of obese adults: a cross-sectional study

Evidence suggests that polyphenol-rich diets enhance insulin sensitivity; however, their molecular mechanisms in human adipose tissue remain incompletely understood. We investigated whether habitual intake of total polyphenols and their major subclasses is associated with the expression of PI3K, Akt, and PTEN, key comp...

F. H. Balam, Faraneh Zolfaghari, Farshad Teymoori et al. · 0 citations
Open access Sep 2026

Comparative evaluation of insulin resistance and adipokine status in men with hypogonadism associated with obesity

Hypogonadism in men with obesity is associated with abdominal obesity, hyperinsulinemia, and insulin resistance, and the HOMA-IR and Caro indices may be recommended as screening tools for detecting metabolic disturbances in this patient population.

K. Bairova, A. Mkrtumyan · 0 citations
Open access Aug 2026

Adipocytokine and Inflammatory Profile in Asian Indian Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Case-Control Study

Chronic low-grade inflammation and adipose tissue dysfunction are both implicated in the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), though adipocytokine and inflammatory marker profiles appear to vary across populations. This hospital-based case-control study compared circulating adiponectin, leptin, interleukin-...

Neha Sharma, T. Aziz, R. Mathur et al. · 0 citations
Open access Aug 2026

Impaired adipogenesis and lipid storage capacity in subcutaneous adipose tissue of patients with PMOS

In SAT from PMOS versus control, a higher ratio of fibrotic versus insulin sensitive adipocytes and a higher ratio of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) to preadipocytes are observed, consistent with higher SLIT/ROBO signaling, leading to reduced differentiation in the SAT of PMOS.

A. Divoux, Edina Erdős, K. Whytock et al. · 0 citations
Open access Sep 2026

Obesity Increases Atherosclerosis Susceptibility via an Intertissue miR-30e-SLC7A11 Axis

BACKGROUND: With obesity as a risk factor for atherosclerotic disease, recent research suggests that adipose tissue in obese animal models and humans can generate endocrine-like molecules that affect arterial health. Previous studies showed that microRNA-30e (miR-30e) levels are elevated in atherosclerosis and solute c...

C. Wang, Jian-Qing She, Xiaoli Qian et al. · 0 citations

We use cookies to run the site and, with your consent, for analytics and to show ads. See our Cookie Policy.