Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 26, 2026

An Adipocyte Cell Culture Model to Study the Impact of Protein and Micro-RNA Modulation on Adipocyte Function
Published on: May 4, 2021
Effects of adipocyte-secreted factors on cell cycle progression in HT29 cells
Kerstin Schnäbele1, Silvia Roser, Gerhard Rechkemmer
1Chair of the Biofunctionality of Food, Dept. of Food and Nutrition, Technische Universität München, Freising, Germany.
Background:
Obesity is a chronic sub-inflammatory condition which is a risk factor for several cancer diseases, e.g. colon cancer. Adipose tissue secretes biologically active factors like leptin with a known pro-inflammatory or mitogenic activity. Both, chronic inflammation and an increased cell proliferation are considered to play an important role in colon carcinogenesis. Diverse phytochemicals were shown to have cell growth inhibiting effects.
Aim Of The Study:
The aim was to investigate whether adipocytes could mediate a proliferative capacity to HT29, a human colon adenocarcinoma cell line, and whether phytochemicals could modulate this effect.
Methods:
Infranatants of adipocyte cultures from different donors were prepared and the effects of those conditioned adipocyte media (CAM) on HT29 cell growth were measured. Additionally, cell cycle progression was analyzed by flow cytometry after CAM treatment and ERK 1/2 phosphorylation was analyzed.
Results:
CAM from a subgroup of adipose tissue donors stimulated HT29 cell growth, whereas others did not. This effect seems to be mediated via the ERK 1/2 pathway. Furthermore, CAM caused changes in cell cycle distribution with a shift of HT29 cells from G1- into the S-phase. This effect could be mimicked by leptin (1 nM). Co-incubation of CAM-treated HT29 cultures with beta-carotene or EGCG did not have a significant impact on cell cycle progression, whereas genistein (30 microM) tended to inhibit the CAM-stimulated transition of cells into the S-phase.
Conclusion:
This study confirmed the mitogenic activity of leptin in HT29 cells, although leptin secretion from adipocytes is not likely to be responsible for CAM-stimulated cell growth in our test system. The investigated phytochemicals seem to have only a minor influence on CAM-mediated cell cycle progression.
More Related Videos
08:34Mechanism of Regulation of Adipocyte Numbers in Adult Organisms Through Differentiation and Apoptosis Homeostasis
Published on: June 3, 2016
10:28Isolation, Expansion, and Adipogenic Induction of CD34+CD31+ Endothelial Cells from Human Omental and Subcutaneous Adipose Tissue
Published on: July 17, 2018
Related Concept Videos
Molecular Factors Affecting Cell Division
Several proteins function as internal regulators to ensure each cell cycle stage is completed faithfully before proceeding to the next. Regulator molecules may act directly or influence the activity or production of other...
Inhibition of Cdk Activity
Cells Coordinate Growth and Proliferation
Positive Regulator Molecules
Negative Regulator Molecules
Mitogens and the Cell Cycle