Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 16, 2026

Mechanism of Regulation of Adipocyte Numbers in Adult Organisms Through Differentiation and Apoptosis Homeostasis
Published on: June 3, 2016
FSH regulates fat accumulation and redistribution in aging through the Gαi/Ca(2+)/CREB pathway
Xin-Mei Liu1, Hsiao Chang Chan, Guo-Lian Ding
1International Peace Maternity and Child Health Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China; Department of Pathology & Pathophysiology, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Zhejiang, China; Shanghai Jiao Tong University - The Chinese University of Hong Kong Joint Research Center for Human Reproduction and Related Diseases, Shanghai, China.
Abstract:
Increased fat mass and fat redistribution are commonly observed in aging populations worldwide. Although decreased circulating levels of sex hormones, androgens and oestrogens have been observed, the exact mechanism of fat accumulation and redistribution during aging remains obscure. In this study, the receptor of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), a gonadotropin that increases sharply and persistently with aging in both males and females, is functionally expressed in human and mouse fat tissues and adipocytes. Follicle-stimulating hormone was found to promote lipid biosynthesis and lipid droplet formation; FSH could also alter the secretion of leptin and adiponectin, but not hyperplasia, in vitro and in vivo. The effects of FSH are mediated by FSH receptors coupled to the Gαi protein; as a result, Ca(2+) influx is stimulated, cAMP-response-element-binding protein is phosphorylated, and an array of genes involved in lipid biosynthesis is activated. The present findings depict the potential of FSH receptor-mediated lipodystrophy of adipose tissues in aging. Our results also reveal the mechanism of fat accumulation and redistribution during aging of males and females.
More Related Videos
05:32Author Spotlight: Investigating the Relationship Between FSH and Pathophysiological Changes in Perimenopausal Women - Insights from a Mouse Model
Published on: August 11, 2023
09:19A Guide to Examining Intramuscular Fat Formation and its Cellular Origin in Skeletal Muscle
Published on: May 26, 2022
Related Concept Videos
TGF - β Signaling Pathway
Testosterone: Functions and Regulation
Signs of Puberty
Cholesterol: Significance and Regulation
Considering cholesterol and...
Master Transcription Regulators
Hormonal Regulation