Culture and differentiation of human orbital preadipocytes in thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy.
OBJECTIVE
To identify whether there are preadipocytes in the orbits of thyroid-associated (TAO) patients and whether they possess the capacity to undergo ophthalmopathy adipocytic differentiation.


METHODS
Orbital fat tissue from TAO patients was placed in primary culture and proliferating cells were sub-passaged. The preadiocytes were identified with immunohistochemistry. Confluent preadipocytes were subjected to a differentiation protocol. And Peroxisome proliferators-associated receptory (PPARgamma) transcript levels were determined before and after differentiation.


RESULTS
In primary culture, cells were spindly and showed positive immunostaining for preadipocyte factor-1 (pref-1) protein. During the process of differentiation, orbital cells showed evidence of adipogenesis and relatively greater PPARy gene expression with differentiation.


CONCLUSIONS
There are active preadipocytes in the orbital tissue of TAO patients which might be able to undergo adipocyte differentiation. These observations suggest that the preadipocytes differentiation contributed to excess orbital adipose tissue volume in TAO.
Wang
Lifei
L
Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510060, China.
Wu
Zhongyao
Z
Yan
Jianhua
J
Yang
Huasheng
H
Chen
Zhicong
Z
D017667:Adipocytes / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D049970:Graves Ophthalmopathy / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D009915:Orbit / Q000473:pathology*; D047495:PPAR gamma / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins; C512941:DLK1 protein, human; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D047495:PPAR gamma