Aims/hypothesis Adipocytes secrete signalling molecules that elicit responses from target cells, including pancreatic beta cells. Wnt signalling molecules have recently been identified as novel adipocyte-derived factors. They also regulate insulin secretion in pancreatic beta cells and the cell cycle. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of adipocyte-derived Wnt signalling molecules on insulin secretion and beta cell proliferation. Methods Human adipocytes were isolated to generate fat cell-conditioned medium (FCCM). Ins-1 cells were stimulated with FCCM and transiently transfected with reporter genes. Proliferation assays using [ 3 H]thymidine incorporation were carried out in Ins-1 cells and primary islet cells. Insulin secretion from primary islets was assessed by radioimmunoassay. Gene expression in primary islets was assessed by Taqman PCR. Results Treatment with human FCCM increased the transcription of a T cell-specific transcription factor reporter gene (TOPFLASH) in Ins-1 cells (241%, p<0.05). FCCM induced the proliferation of Ins-1 cells (1.8 fold, p<0.05) and primary mouse islet cells (1.6 fold, p<0.05). Antagonizing Wnt signalling with secreted Frizzled-related protein 1 (FRP-1) inhibited the proliferative effect induced by Wnt3a and FCCM on Ins-1 cells by 49 and 41%, respectively. In addition, FCCM led to a twofold (p<0.05) induction of cyclin D1 promoter activity in Ins-1 cells. Furthermore, FCCM stimulated insulin secretion (204% of controls, p>0.05) in primary mouse islets, and this stimulation was inhibited by sFRP-1. At a molecular level, canonical Wnt signalling induced glucokinase gene transcription in a peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ-dependent fashion, thereby defining the glucokinase gene as a novel Wnt target gene. Conclusions/interpretation Taken together, these data show that adipocyte-derived Wnt signalling molecules induce beta cell proliferation and insulin secretion in vitro, suggesting a novel mechanism linking obesity to hyperinsulinaemia.

Our data show higher RBP4 levels in obese men than in obese women. However, there was no association of RBP4 levels with insulin resistance or other components of the metabolic syndrome. We conclude that obesity might already be associated with elevated RBP4 levels which then show no additional correlation with metabolic markers.

Our data show that rimonabant modulates the adipocyte - beta-cell interaction with respect to beta-cell proliferation and indicate that signalling molecules other than adiponectin and components of the Wnt pathway mediate this cross-talk.