title: Galectin-3 stimulates preadipocyte proliferation and is up-regulated in growing adipose tissue.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Some cytokines and mediators of inflammation can alter adiposity through their effects on adipocyte number. To probe the molecular basis of obesity, this study determined whether galectin-3 was present in adipose tissue and investigated its effects on fat cell number.
  
  
  METHODS
  In the first study, obesity-prone C57BL/6J mice were fed with high-fat (58%) diet. Epididymal fat pads were collected at Day 0, Day 60, and Day 120 after the start of high-fat feeding.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Levels of adipocyte galectin-3 protein, determined using Western blot analysis, increased as the mice became obese. Galectin-3 mRNA and protein were then detected in human adipose tissue, primarily in the preadipocyte fraction. It was found that recombinant human galectin-3 stimulated proliferation of primary cultured preadipocytes as well as DNA synthesis through lectin-carbohydrate interaction.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Galectin-3, which has been known to play a versatile role especially in immune cells, might play a role also in adipose tissue and be associated with the pathophysiology of obesity.
authors.affiliation: Endocrine Research Unit, Mayo Clinic and Mayo Foundation, Rochester, MN 55905, USA.
authors.forename: Kohji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kiwaki
authors.forename: Colleen M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Novak
authors.forename: Daniel K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Hsu
authors.forename: Fu-Tong
authors.initials: FT
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: James A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Levine
mesh_terms: D017667:Adipocytes / Q000502:physiology*; D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002455:Cell Division / Q000502:physiology; D037502:Galectin 3 / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009765:Obesity / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015854:Up-Regulation
chemical_list: D037502:Galectin 3