Visceral adiposity in obesity causes excessive free fatty acid (FFA) flux into the liver via the
portal vein and may cause fatty liver disease and hepatic insulin resistance. However,
because animal models of insulin resistance induced by lipid infusion or a high fat diet are
complex and may be accompanied by alterations not restricted to the liver, it is difficult to
determine the contribution of FFAs to hepatic insulin resistance. Therefore, we treated
H4IIEC3 cells, a rat hepatocyte cell line, with a monounsaturated fatty acid (oleate) and a …