Resistin is known as an adipocyte-specific secretory hormone that can cause insulin resistance and decrease adipocyte differentiation. It can be regulated by sexual hormones, but the mechanism of estrogen's actions is still not clear. Using 3T3-L1 adipocytes, we found that 17-estradiol (E₂) upregulated resistin mRNA expression in dose- and time-dependent manners. The concentration of E₂ that increased resistin mRNA levels by 100250% was 1 nM for a range of 1-24 h of treatment. Treatment with either actinomycin D or cycloheximide prevented E₂-stimulated resistin mRNA expression, suggesting that the effect of E₂ requires new mRNA and protein synthesis. While E₂ was shown to increase activities of the estrogen receptor (ER) and MEK1 and the association of nuclear ER and C/EBP with the resistin gene promoter, signaling was demonstrated to be blocked by pretreatment with either ICI182780 or PD98059. Neither SB203580 nor LY294002 changed the E₂-increased levels of resistin mRNA, but they respectively inhibited E₂-stimulated phosphorylation of p38 MAPK and Akt. These results imply the ER, Erk and C/EBP are necessary for the E₂ stimulation of transcription from the resistin promoter. Moreover, PD98059, but not SB203580 or LY294002, antagonized E₂-increased resistin protein release. These data suggest that E₂ likely modifies the distribution of the resistin protein between the intracellular and extracellular compartments via an Erk-dependent pathway.