The environmental obesogen tributyltin chloride acts via peroxisome proliferator activated receptor gamma to induce adipogenesis in murine 3T3-L1 preadipocytes

► The RXR-PPARγ heterodimer is permissive for RXR activation in the presence of the PPARγ antagonist GW9662. ► GW9662 is unable to block adipogenesis in 3T3-L1 cells mediated by tributyltin (TBT) or rosiglitazone (ROSI). ► GW9662 does not block adipogenesis in 3T3-L1 cells because it has a very short half-life (∼2 h) compared with ROSI (>24 h). ► When GW9662 is added every 8 h, it inhibits TBT and ROSI-mediated adipogenesis. ► PPARγ activity is necessary for either TBT or ROSI to induce adipogenesis in 3T3-L1 cells.