Lee SK, Park CY, Kim J, et al. - Obese patients exhibited enhanced TRIB3 (a stress-inducible gene encoding a pseudokinase) expression in adipose tissue, and dysregulation of adipocyte function is induced by the increased TRIB3, which could act as a contributing factor in insulin resistance development.

• This study involved obese (with or without type 2 diabetes) and normal-weight women, to explore TRIB3 expression in human adipose tissue.

• Patients with obesity and/or type 2 diabetes had higher TRIB3 expression in both fat depots (abdominal subcutaneous and visceral); the expression level was significantly related to insulin resistance.

• TRIB3 overexpression, in human adipocytes, led to impaired insulin-stimulated AKT phosphorylation and dysregulation of the transcription of genes encoding the bioactive molecules released from adipocytes.

• Both these impacts of TRIB3 and the endoplasmic reticulum stressor-induced expression of TRB3 were decreased by pioglitazone, an insulin-sensitizing agent.