Induction of the adipose differentiation-related protein in liver of etomoxir-treated rats.

The effects of etomoxir, an irreversible carnitine palmitoyltransferase I inhibitor, on the liver protein pattern and on liver morphology were examined by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis in female Sprague-Dawley rats treated with 125 mg/kg/day etomoxir for 28 days. In livers of treated animals a protein spot was found which was not present in controls. The spot was identified by internal amino acid sequence analysis as the adipose differentiation-related protein (ADRP). The expression of ADRP in liver is a novel finding as the protein has been described previously as adipocyte-specific. Additionally we found histopathologic evidence of lipid accumulation in the livers of etomoxir rats. The data show that for each treated rat there was a good correlation between ADRP levels and degree of lipid droplet formation. This observation may suggest a potential relationship between drug-induced expression of ADRP in liver and lipid accumulation.