Lactoferrin suppress the adipogenic differentiation of MC3T3-G2/PA6 cells

Lactoferrin accelerates the differentiation of osteogenic and chondrogenic lineage cells, whereas it inhibits the myogenic and adipogenic differentiation of pluripotent mesenchymal cells; however, the effect of lactoferrin on the differentiation of preadipocytes is unknown. In this study, we examined the effect of lactoferrin on adipogenic differentiation using a mouse preadipocyte cell line, MC3T3-G2/PA6. The cells were cultured in differentiation medium with or without lactoferrin to induce cellular differentiation. The cell lineage was then determined by Oil Red O staining, real-time PCR screening for the mRNA expression of phenotype-specific markers, and Western blot analysis. The number of Oil Red O-positive lipid droplets decreased following treatment with lactoferrin, as did the mRNA expression of C/EBPalpha, PPARgamma, aP2, and adiponectin. Furthermore, our Western blot data revealed a decrease in PPARgamma expression attributable to lactoferrin exposure. These results suggest that lactoferrin suppresses the adipogenic differentiation of MC3T3-G2/PA6 cells.