BDE-47 (2,2,4,4-tetrabromodiphenyl ether) is a polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) congener, which has the characteristics of high biological detection rate, the highest content and strong biological toxicity, and is widely distributed in organisms. Many studies have found that BDE-47 may also be an environmental risk factor for metabolic diseases such as obesity, insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, and hypertension. However, the way that PBDEs influence adipocyte differentiation remains unclear. The methylisobutylxanthine, dexamethasone, and insulin method was used to study the effect of BDE-47 on the differentiation of 3T3-L1 cells. The 3T3-L1 cells were exposed by different concentrations of BDE-47, and the effect of cell viability was detected at different stages. In addition, the lipid droplet aggregation of adipocytes was observed and the triglyceride (TG) levels in the cytoplasm were detected after differentiation. The relative mRNA expression levels of leptin, adiponectin, and PPARγ in cells were determined by RT-PCR, and differentially expressed genes were preliminarily screened by digital gene expression profile. Our study found that BDE-47 promoted the differentiation of 3T3-L1 cells. Restriction cubic spline analysis showed that BDE-47 bidirectionally. regulated the mRNA synthesis of TG, PPARγ, and leptin genes and the aggregation of lipid droplets. BDE-47 may induce adipocyte differentiation by activating PPARγ, resulting in the differential expression of genes related to the AMPK signaling pathway, insulin resistance, and other metabolic pathways. The highest and lowest-dose BDE-47 exposure groups had the greatest impact on adipocyte differentiation.
Keywords: BDE-47; PPARγ; adipocytes; restricted cubic spline.