Depot-specific expression of fibroblast growth factors in human adipose tissue.
OBJECTIVE
We have investigated the expression of several fibroblast growth factors (FGFs) and FGF-receptors (FGFRs) in human adipose tissue and adipose-tissue cell fractions obtained from both subcutaneous (sc) and omental (om) depots.


METHODS
Adipose tissue (sc and om) was obtained from obese men. Gene expression was analyzed by DNA microarrays in triplicate (n = 6) or by real-time polymerase chain reaction (n = 9).


RESULTS
FGF-1, FGF-2, FGF-7, FGF-9, FGF-10, and FGF-18 transcripts were detected in human adipose tissue. The expression of FGF-2, FGF-7, and FGF-10 was similar in sc and om adipose tissue, whereas FGF-1 and FGF-9 were expressed at higher levels in the om adipose tissue. Expression of FGF-18 was only detected in om adipose tissue in two of the subjects. Analysis of cell fractions revealed that FGF-2 was only expressed in adipocytes; FGF-7, FGF-9, and FGF-18 were expressed in the stroma-vascular fraction; and FGF-1 and FGF-10 were expressed in both adipocytes and in the stroma-vascular fraction. FGFR-1 was expressed in both depots in all subjects and in both cell fractions, whereas FGFR-2 expression was undetectable in whole adipose tissue but detectable in the adipocyte fractions from both sc and om depots.


CONCLUSIONS
We show that several members of the FGF family are expressed in human adipose tissue, and that the expression for some of the FGFs differs between sc and om adipose tissue. Taken together with previously published reports on the biological effects of FGFs on adipose cells, our results suggest that locally expressed FGFs could play role in the regulation of regional adipose tissue mass.
Gabrielsson
Britt G
BG
Research Centre for Endocrinology and Metabolism and Division for Body Composition and Metabolism, The Sahlgrenska Academy at Göteborg University, Göteborg, Sweden.
Johansson
Jenny M
JM
Jennische
Eva
E
Jernås
Margareta
M
Itoh
Yoshiaki
Y
Peltonen
Markku
M
Olbers
Torsten
T
Lönn
Lars
L
Lönroth
Hans
H
Sjöström
Lars
L
Carlsson
Björn
B
Carlsson
Lena M S
LM
Lönn
Malin
M
D017667:Adipocytes / Q000737:chemistry; D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000737:chemistry*; D000328:Adult; D001823:Body Composition; D016220:Fibroblast Growth Factor 1 / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D051525:Fibroblast Growth Factor 9; D005346:Fibroblast Growth Factors / Q000235:genetics*; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization; D009765:Obesity / Q000378:metabolism; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D009852:Omentum; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000235:genetics; D051496:Receptor, Fibroblast Growth Factor, Type 1; D051497:Receptor, Fibroblast Growth Factor, Type 2; D017468:Receptors, Fibroblast Growth Factor / Q000235:genetics; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
C496459:FGF9 protein, human; D051525:Fibroblast Growth Factor 9; D017468:Receptors, Fibroblast Growth Factor; D016220:Fibroblast Growth Factor 1; D005346:Fibroblast Growth Factors; C496348:FGFR1 protein, human; C496353:FGFR2 protein, human; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; D051496:Receptor, Fibroblast Growth Factor, Type 1; D051497:Receptor, Fibroblast Growth Factor, Type 2