title: Involvement of volume-sensitive Cl- channels in the proliferation of human subcutaneous pre-adipocytes.
abstract: 1. Obesity is a significant challenge in terms of public health and preventive medicine. Inhibition of pre-adipocyte proliferation is believed to be important in the proposed anti-obesity mechanism. The aim of the present study was to examine the interplay between Cl(-) channels and their possible involvement in the proliferation of undifferentiated human pre-adipocytes. 2. Pre-adipocytes were isolated from human abdominal subcutaneous adipose tissue. Membrane ion currents were recorded using the whole-cell patch-clamp technique. Expression of the Cl(-) channel ClC-3 gene and protein was determined by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and western blot, respectively. Cell proliferation was evaluated using the [(3)H]-thymidine incorporation assay. 3. Electrophysiological recordings revealed a volume-sensitive Cl(-) current (I(Cl.vol)) expressed in pre-adipocytes that was activated under hyposmotic conditions (external osmolarity decreased by 80%) and inhibited by the Cl(-) channel blocker tamoxifen. 4. Expression of the ClC-3 channel gene and protein was confirmed by RT-PCR and western blot analysis. Blocking I(Cl.vol) with tamoxifen supressed the proliferation of pre-adipocytes in a concentration-dependent manner. 5. Collectively, the results of the present study indicate that the volume-sensitive Cl(-) channel participates in regulation of the proliferation of human subcutaneous pre-adipocytes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China.
authors.forename: Hao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Dong-Ling
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Lin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ren
authors.forename: Sheng-Peng
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Bing
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Jia
authors.forename: Bing-Hang
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Xiao-Jiang
authors.initials: XJ
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Wei-Jin
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Zang
mesh_terms: D017667:Adipocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D018118:Chloride Channels / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008564:Membrane Potentials / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D013629:Tamoxifen / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D018118:Chloride Channels; C115376:ClC-3 channel; D013629:Tamoxifen