Periostin deficiency attenuates lipopolysaccharide ‐ and obesity‐induced adipose tissue fibrosis

Periostin (POSTN) is a type of matricellular protein, but its functions in adipose fibrosis remain unclear. Here, we found that POSTN expression is significantly increased in mouse adipose tissue after treatment with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or a high-fat diet (HFD) and that adipose progenitor cells are the main source of POSTN. In our mouse model of fibrosis,POSTN deletion protected mice from adipose fibrosis, probably through reducing the accumulation of macrophages and promoting adipocyte differentiation of progenitor cells. Taken together, our study demonstrates thatPOSTN deficiency attenuates adipose tissue fibrosis and improves insulin resistance, providing new insights into the diagnosis and treatment of type II diabetes by targeting adipose tissue fibrosis.

Source: FEBS Letters - August 23, 2021 Category: Biochemistry Authors: Yuhan Yang, Yanfei Zhang, Xueliang Zhou, Dandan Chen, Gaoliang Ouyang, Yingfu Liu, Dan Cui Tags: Research Article Source Type: research