Native adiponectin plays a role in the adipocyte-mediated conversion of fibroblasts to myofibroblasts

Evidence from laboratory and animal studies provides groundwork for understanding mechanisms and potential before human studies continue.

• Level A · Stronger Clinical Evidence
• Level B · Emerging clinical evidence with positive signals
• Level C · Early human research exploring benefits
• Level D · Scientific groundwork from lab and animal studies
• Emerging · Emerging topic under active research

Abstract (original English)

Adipocytes regulate tissues through production of adipokines that can act both locally and systemically. Adipocytes also have been found to play a critical role in regulating the healing process. To better understand this role, we developed a three-dimensional human adipocyte spheroid system that has an adipokine profile similar to in vivo adipose tissues. Previously, we found that conditioned medium from these spheroids induces human dermal fibroblast conversion into highly contractile, collagen-producing myofibroblasts through a transforming growth factor beta-1 (TGF-β1) independent pathway. Here, we sought to identify how mature adipocytes signal to dermal fibroblasts through adipokines to induce myofibroblast conversion. By using molecular weight fractionation, heat inactivation and lipid depletion, we determined mature adipocytes secrete a factor that is 30-100 kDa, heat labile and lipid associated that induces myofibroblast conversion. We also show that the depletion of the adipokine adiponectin, which fits those physico-chemical parameters, eliminates the ability of adipocyte-conditioned media to induce fibroblast to myofibroblast conversion. Interestingly, native adiponectin secreted by cultured adipocytes consistently elicited a stronger level of α-smooth muscle actin expression than exogenously added adiponectin. Thus, adiponectin secreted by mature adipocytes induces

Evidence level

Evidence from laboratory and animal studies provides groundwork for understanding mechanisms and potential before human studies continue.

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