Fig. 4.

Retinoic acid signaling is required for fetal adipose tissue development. (a) Retinoid levels in mother mice. (b) Retinoid levels in E18.5 fetuses (whole tissue lysate). (c) Retinoid levels in weanling offspring. (d–h) Pregnant mice were injected with BMS493 or RA at E10.5 and 13.5, one BMS493 treated group was supplemented with vitamin A during gestation. Samples were collected at weaning. Body weight (d) and adipose tissue weight (e) of offspring was measured at weaning. Adipose tissue sections were stained by H&E (f). Expression of brown adipose genes were analyzed by qRT-PCR (g) or western blot (h). (i–n) RARαDN expression was conditionally induced in PDGFRα⁺ cells at E10.5 by an injection of 20 mg/kg BW tamoxifen to the pregnant mothers (i). Offspring were euthanized at weaning, and body weight (j) and adipose tissue weight (k) were measured. iWAT and BAT tissue sections were stained by H&E (l) and IHC using anti-UCP1 antibody (m). Brown adipose genes expression were analyzed by qRT-PCR (n). Data presented are mean ± SEM, n = 6, unpaired two-tail t-test (a–c, j–k and n) *p < 0.05 or ANOVA (d–e and g), bars with different letters differ significantly.