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Adipocyte and Cell Biology

IGFBP-2 inhibits adipogenesis and lipogenesis in human visceral, but not subcutaneous, adipocytes

Subjects

Abstract

Background/objective:

IGF-binding protein (IGFBP)-2 is the principal IGFBP produced by white adipocytes during adipogenesis, and circulating levels are reduced in obesity. Overexpression of IGFBP-2 in transgenic mice prevents obesity, but depot-specific effects of IGFBP-2 on adipo/lipogenesis are unknown. The present study aimed to investigate whether IGFBP-2 affects adipo/lipogenesis in a depot-specific manner and explore potential mechanisms.

Methods:

Following adipocyte characterisation, IGFBP-2 levels were measured from human subcutaneous and visceral preadipocytes, and IGFBP-2 dose–responses were then undertaken with exogenous IGFBP-2 in an in vitro IGF-I-free system to examine adipo/lipogenesis. Following this, both types of adipocytes were transfected with human siRNA IGFBP-2 to assess auto-/para-/intra-crine effects, with and without additional add-back IGFBP-2. To elucidate the potential mechanisms, visceral preadipocytes were treated with either wild-type or Heparin Binding Domain (HBD)-mutant IGFBP-2 (which is unable to bind to cell-surface components), and experiments were also undertaken using Echistatin (an integrin receptor blocker). Outcomes included gene expression profiles, protein levels and phosphorylation and lipid staining.

Results:

Human visceral adipocytes produced significantly more IGFBP-2 than subcutaneous adipocytes. Subsequent dose–responses to IGFBP-2 demonstrated significant reductions in adipo/lipogenesis in visceral, but not subcutaneous, adipocytes in response to increasing IGFBP-2. Silencing IGFBP-2 resulted in exaggerated adipo/lipogenesis in visceral, but not subcutaneous, adipocytes, an effect completely inhibited by add-back IGFBP-2. These effects occurred in the absence of changes in IGF-I levels. HBD-mutant IGFBP-2 had reduced effects compared with wild-type IGFBP-2. Wild-type IGFBP-2 increased phosphorylation of focal adhesion kinase (FAK) and decreased phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) levels, suggestive of integrin-mediated signalling. Blockade of this signalling, using Echistatin, completely negated the effects of IGFBP-2 on visceral adipo/lipogenesis.

Conclusion:

IGFBP-2 inhibits both adipogenesis and lipogenesis in visceral, but not subcutaneous, adipocytes. This depot-specific impairment appears to be independent of IGF-I and involves cell-surface association of IGFBP-2 and activation of integrin signalling pathways.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by Murdoch Childrens Research Institute. Authors from the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute are supported in part by the Victorian Government Operational Infrastructure Support Program. MAS is supported through a National Health and Medical Research Council Professional Training Fellowship APP1012201. SWY is a recipient of an Australian Postgraduate Award scholarship.

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Correspondence to M A Sabin.

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A part of this work was presented at the Annual Scientific Meeting of the Endocrine Society of Australia, Sydney, Australia, 25–28 August 2013 and the 16th International Congress of Endocrinology and the Endocrine Society’s 96th Annual Meeting and Expo, Chicago, USA, 20–24 June 2014.

Supplementary Information accompanies this paper on International Journal of Obesity website

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Yau, S., Russo, V., Clarke, I. et al. IGFBP-2 inhibits adipogenesis and lipogenesis in human visceral, but not subcutaneous, adipocytes. Int J Obes 39, 770–781 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1038/ijo.2014.192

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