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On the Validity of Adipogenic Cell Lines as Model Systems for Browning Processes: In Authentic Brown, Brite/Beige, and White Preadipocytes, There is No Cell-Autonomous Thermogenic Recruitment by Green Tea Compounds.

Authors :
Otton R
Petrovic N
Cannon B
Nedergaard J
Source :
Frontiers in nutrition [Front Nutr] 2021 Aug 17; Vol. 8, pp. 715859. Date of Electronic Publication: 2021 Aug 17 (Print Publication: 2021).
Publication Year :
2021

Abstract

The potential ability of nutritional compounds to induce or enhance the browning of adipocytes has attracted large interest as a workable means of combatting the obesity epidemic. Green tea compounds are discussed as such inducers of an enhanced thermogenic capacity and activity. However, the cell-autonomous effects of green tea compounds on adipocytes have until now only been demonstrated in adipogenic cell lines (3T3-L1 and 3T3-F442A), i.e., cells of undefined tissue lineage. In this study, we examine the ability of green tea compounds to cell-autonomously induce thermogenic recruitment in authentic brown and brite/beige adipocytes in vitro . In primary brown adipocytes, the green tea compounds suppressed basal UCP1 gene expression, and there was no positive interaction between the compounds and adrenergic stimulation. In white adipocytes, green tea compounds decreased both basal and norepinephrine-induced UCP1 mRNA levels, and this was associated with the suppression of cell differentiation, indicated by reduced lipogenic gene expression and lipid accumulation. A lack of interaction between rosiglitazone and green tea compounds suggests that the green tea compounds do not directly interact with the PPARĪ³ pathway. We conclude that there is a negative effect of the green tea compounds on basal UCP1 gene expression, in both brown and white primary adipocytes, in contrast to the positive effects earlier reported from studies in adipogenic cell lines. We posit that the epigenetic status of the adipogenic cell lines is fundamentally different from that of genuine brown and white adipocytes, reflected, e.g., in several-thousand-fold differences in UCP1 gene expression levels. Thus, results obtained with adipogenic cell lines cannot unreservedly be extrapolated as being relevant for authentic effects in brown and white adipocytes. We suggest that this conclusion can be of general concern for studies attempting to establish physiologically relevant cell-autonomous effects.<br />Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.<br /> (Copyright © 2021 Otton, Petrovic, Cannon and Nedergaard.)

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
2296-861X
Volume :
8
Database :
MEDLINE
Journal :
Frontiers in nutrition
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
34485365
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2021.715859