title: Role of Galectin-3 in Obesity and Impaired Glucose Homeostasis.
abstract: Galectin-3 is an important modulator of several biological functions. It has been implicated in numerous disease conditions, particularly in the long-term complications of diabetes because of its ability to bind the advanced glycation/lipoxidation end products that accumulate in target organs and exert their toxic effects by triggering proinflammatory and prooxidant pathways. Recent evidence suggests that galectin-3 may also participate in the development of obesity and type 2 diabetes. It has been shown that galectin-3 levels are higher in obese and diabetic individuals and parallel deterioration of glucose homeostasis. Two studies in galectin-3 knockout mice fed a high-fat diet (HFD) have shown increased adiposity and adipose tissue and systemic inflammation associated with altered glucose homeostasis, suggesting that galectin-3 negatively modulates the responsiveness of innate and adaptive immunity to overnutrition. However, these studies have also shown that impaired glucose homeostasis occurs in galectin-3 knockout animals independently of obesity. Moreover, another study reported decreased weight and fat mass in HFD-fed galectin-3 knockout mice. In vitro, galectin-3 was found to stimulate differentiation of preadipocytes into mature adipocytes. Altogether, these data indicate that galectin-3 deserves further attention in order to clarify its role as a potential player and therapeutic target in obesity and type 2 diabetes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, "La Sapienza" University, Via di Grottarossa 1035-1039, 00189 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Menini
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, "La Sapienza" University, Via di Grottarossa 1035-1039, 00189 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Carla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Iacobini
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, "La Sapienza" University, Via di Grottarossa 1035-1039, 00189 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Blasetti Fantauzzi
authors.affiliation: DINOGMI, University of Genoa Medical School, 16132 Genoa, Italy.
authors.forename: Carlo M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Pesce
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, "La Sapienza" University, Via di Grottarossa 1035-1039, 00189 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pugliese
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000473:pathology; D000818:Animals; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000378:metabolism; D037502:Galectin 3 / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism*; D006706:Homeostasis; D006801:Humans; D009765:Obesity / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D037502:Galectin 3; D005947:Glucose