Center for Human Nutrition, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA.
Obesity (Silver Spring). 2019 Jun;27(6):957-962. doi: 10.1002/oby.22463. Epub 2019 Apr 19.
Connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) is an important regulator of fibrogenesis in many organs. This study evaluated the interrelationship among adipose tissue CTGF expression, fat mass, and insulin resistance in humans.
This study examined (1) CTGF gene expression in human subcutaneous preadipocytes before and after inducing adipogenesis; (2) relationships among abdominal subcutaneous adipose tissue CTGF gene expression, body fat mass, and indices of insulin sensitivity, including the hepatic insulin sensitivity index and the hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp procedure in conjunction with stable isotope glucose tracer infusion, in 72 people who had marked differences in adiposity and insulin sensitivity; (3) localization of CTGF protein in subcutaneous adipose tissue; and (4) effect of progressive (5%, 11%, and 16%) weight loss on adipose tissue CTGF gene expression.
CTGF was highly expressed in preadipocytes, not adipocytes. Adipose tissue CTGF expression was strongly correlated with body fat mass and both skeletal muscle and liver insulin sensitivity, and CTGF-positive cells were predominantly found in areas of fibrosis. Progressive weight loss caused a stepwise decrease in adipose tissue CTGF expression.
It was concluded that increased CTGF expression is associated with adipose tissue expansion, adipose tissue fibrosis, and multi-organ insulin resistance in people with obesity.
结缔组织生长因子（CTGF）是许多器官纤维化形成的重要调节因子。本研究评估了人类脂肪组织 CTGF 表达、脂肪量和胰岛素抵抗之间的相互关系。
本研究检查了（1）人类皮下前脂肪细胞在诱导脂肪生成前后 CTGF 基因的表达；（2）72 名肥胖和胰岛素敏感性差异显著的人群中，腹部皮下脂肪组织 CTGF 基因表达、体脂肪量和胰岛素敏感性指标（包括肝胰岛素敏感性指数和高胰岛素正葡萄糖钳夹试验结合稳定同位素葡萄糖示踪输注）之间的关系；（3）CTGF 蛋白在皮下脂肪组织中的定位；（4）逐渐（5%、11%和 16%）体重减轻对脂肪组织 CTGF 基因表达的影响。
CTGF 在脂肪前体细胞中高度表达，而不在脂肪细胞中表达。脂肪组织 CTGF 表达与体脂肪量和骨骼肌及肝脏胰岛素敏感性密切相关，CTGF 阳性细胞主要存在于纤维化区域。逐渐减轻体重导致脂肪组织 CTGF 表达呈逐步下降。
肥胖人群中 CTGF 表达增加与脂肪组织扩张、脂肪组织纤维化和多器官胰岛素抵抗有关。
