Pazopanib is a multikinase inhibitor with anti-tumor activity. As of now, the anti-obesity effect and mode of action of pazopanib are unknown. In this study, we investigated the effects of pazopanib on lipid accumulation, lipolysis, and expression of inflammatory cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 in differentiating and differentiated 3T3-L1 cells, a murine preadipocyte. Of note, pazopanib at 10 µM markedly decreased lipid accumulation and triglyceride (TG) content during 3T3-L1 preadipocyte differentiation with no cytotoxicity. Furthermore, pazopanib inhibited not only expression of CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein-α (C/EBP-α), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPAR-γ), and perilipin A but also phosphorylation of signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT)-3 during 3T3-L1 preadipocyte differentiation. In addition, pazopanib treatment increased phosphorylation of cAMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and its downstream effector ACC during 3T3-L1 preadipocyte differentiation. However, in differentiated 3T3-L1 adipocytes, pazopanib treatment did not stimulate glycerol release and hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL) phosphorylation, hallmarks of lipolysis. Moreover, pazopanib could inhibit tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α-induced expression of COX-2 in both 3T3-L1 preadipocytes and differentiated cells. In summary, this is the first report that pazopanib has strong anti-adipogenic and anti-inflammatory effects in 3T3-L1 cells, which are mediated through regulation of the expression and phosphorylation of C/EBP-α, PPAR-γ, STAT-3, ACC, perilipin A, AMPK, and COX-2.
Keywords: 3T3-L1; AMPK; C/EBP-α; COX-2; PPAR-γ; pazopanib; perilipin A.