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Updated: Aug 19, 2026

Mechanism of Regulation of Adipocyte Numbers in Adult Organisms Through Differentiation and Apoptosis Homeostasis
Published on: June 3, 2016
Mechanical stretch inhibits myoblast-to-adipocyte differentiation through Wnt signaling
Takayuki Akimoto1, Takashi Ushida, Shigeru Miyaki
1Department of Life Sciences, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Komaba 3-8-1, Meguro, Tokyo 153-8902, Japan. takayuki.akimoto@duke.edu
Abstract:
Myoblasts are able to differentiate into other mesenchymal lineages including adipocytes and osteoblasts. However, it is not known how this differentiation is normally regulated in intact animals and humans. Here, we subjected cultured C2C12 myoblasts to cyclic mechanical stretch (20% elongation) during differentiation into adipocytes. Mechanical stretch inhibited the myoblast-to-adipocyte differentiation significantly, concurrent with an enhanced expression of Wnt10b mRNA. Inhibition of the Wnt signaling by incubation of the myoblasts with a soluble Wnt ligand, sFRP-2, abolished the inhibitory function of mechanical stretch on adipogenesis. These findings provide evidence that mechanical stretch inhibits myoblast-to-adipocyte differentiation possibly through Wnt signaling.
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