Abstract
Fat distribution affects the risk of developing obesity-related chronic diseases. Glypican 4 (Gpc4) may be involved in the regulation of obesity and body fat distribution. The aim of the study was to explore whether Gpc4 affects fat accumulation and the possible mechanism. C57BL/6J mice were fed with a high-fat diet for eight weeks and treated with a peroxisome proliferators-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) agonist, rosiglitazone, for another four weeks. The weight of inguinal and epididymal fat pads was determined. The Gpc4 mRNA and protein expression and two probable regulators of the Gpc4 gene, specificity protein 1 (Sp1) and Sp3 mRNA, were also measured. Mice treated with rosiglitazone showed a significant increase in subcutaneous fat weight compared with the untreated mice. The expression of Gpc4 mRNA and protein was significantly higher in visceral than in subcutaneous fat in all the groups. Compared with untreated mice the expression of Gpc4 and Sp3 mRNA in subcutaneous fat and the expression of Sp1 and Sp3 mRNA in visceral fat in mice treated with rosiglitazone increased significantly. The Sp3/Sp1 ratio was consistent with the expression of Gpc4 mRNA and protein in subcutaneous and visceral fat. The present study indicated that Gpc4 may play an important role in fat distribution, and this effect is perhaps regulated by the ratio of Sp3/Sp1 in the subcutaneous and visceral fat tissues.
Highlights
Obesity has become a severe public health problem worldwide and it is closely associated with specific chronic diseases, Key words: glypican 4, obesity, subcutaneous fat, visceral fat, peroxisome proliferators‐activated receptor γ including type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome and certain cancers
The results showed that RSG promoted subcutaneous fat gain and had little effect on visceral fat accumulation, which implied that peroxisome proliferators‐activated receptor γ (PPARγ) activation in subcutaneous fat tissues exerts a higher ability to increase fat accumulation than that in visceral fat tissues in mice feeding with a high‐fat diet
The present study showed that in all groups the expression of Glypican 4 (Gpc4) mRNA and protein was significantly higher in visceral than in subcutaneous fat, which was similar to a previous study that indicated a difference in Gpc4 expression in subcutaneous and visceral adipose tissues [5]
Summary
Obesity has become a severe public health problem worldwide and it is closely associated with specific chronic diseases, Key words: glypican 4, obesity, subcutaneous fat, visceral fat, peroxisome proliferators‐activated receptor γ including type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome and certain cancers. Fat distribution in subcutaneous and visceral adipose tissues have different influences on developing these disorders [1]. The expression level of Gpc mRNA presents a clear difference in subcutaneous and visceral adipose tissues. There were strong correlations of Gpc expression with body mass index (BMI) and waist/hip ratio (WHR) in human adipose, which indicated that Gpc may play an important role in obesity and body fat distribution [5]. Our recent study showed that the filial generation mice had higher epididymal adipose tissue weight and Gpc mRNA expression when the pregnant mice were exposed to low‐dose di‐2‐ethylhexylphthalate [6], indicating that the Gpc gene may be involved in fat accumulation. The mechanism of how Gpc regulates fat distribution is still not understood
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