Inhibition of Fatty Acid-Binding Protein 4 Limits High-Fat-Diet-Associated Prostate Tumorigenesis and Progression in TRAMP Mice

Fatty acid-binding protein 4 (FABP4) is an important adipokine associated with inflammatory responses and metabolic regulation. Although a high-fat diet (HF) and/or HF-mediated obesity have been clearly linked to the progression of prostate cancer, with FABP4 potentially playing a critical role in this relationship, the mechanisms by which FABP4 facilitates this interaction remain unclear. After generating FABP4 knockout (FABP4−/−) transgenic adenocarcinoma of the mouse prostate (TRAMP) mice, it was found that FABP4−/− TRAMP mice presented significantly ameliorated prostate tumorigenesis and tumor progression along with decreased body weight, protumorigenic cytokine secretion, and pan-amino acid synthesis when compared to TRAMP mice under the HF condition. Additionally, treatment with BMS309403—a chemical inhibitor of FABP4—was observed to abrogate the HF-mediated TRAMP tumor progression, along with reductions in body weight and cytokine production. Thus, FABP4 plays an essential role in the progression of HF-mediated prostate cancer through the modulation of metabolic and inflammatory pathways, providing a potential therapeutic target for prostate cancer.