Osteopontin deletion prevents the development of obesity and hepatic steatosis via impaired adipose tissue matrix remodeling and reduced inflammation and fibrosis in adipose tissue and liver in mice.

ABSTRACT: Osteopontin (OPN) is a multifunctional extracellular matrix (ECM) protein involved in multiple physiological processes. OPN expression is dramatically increased in visceral adipose tissue in obesity and the lack of OPN protects against the development of insulin resistance and inflammation in mice. We sought to unravel the potential mechanisms involved in the beneficial effects of the absence of OPN. We analyzed the effect of the lack of OPN in the development of obesity and hepatic steatosis induced by a high-fat diet (HFD) using OPN-KO mice. OPN expression was upregulated in epididymal white adipose tissue (EWAT) and liver in wild type (WT) mice with HFD. OPN-KO mice had higher insulin sensitivity, lower body weight and fat mass with reduced adipose tissue ECM remodeling and reduced adip

SUBMITTER: Lancha A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4037189 | biostudies-literature | 2014

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature