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Published on: July 27, 2021
Metabolic profiling of galectin-1 and galectin-3: a cross-sectional, multi-omics, association study
Emanuel Fryk1, Vagner Ramon Rodrigues Silva2, Lena Strindberg2
1Department of Molecular and Clinical Medicine, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden. emanuel.fryk@wlab.gu.se.
Objectives:
Experimental studies indicate a role for galectin-1 and galectin-3 in metabolic disease, but clinical evidence from larger populations is limited.
Methods:
We measured circulating levels of galectin-1 and galectin-3 in the Prospective investigation of Obesity, Energy and Metabolism (POEM) study, participants (n = 502, all aged 50 years) and characterized the individual association profiles with metabolic markers, including clinical measures, metabolomics, adipose tissue distribution (Imiomics) and proteomics.
Results:
Galectin-1 and galectin-3 were associated with fatty acids, lipoproteins and triglycerides including lipid measurements in the metabolomics analysis adjusted for body mass index (BMI). Galectin-1 was associated with several measurements of adiposity, insulin secretion and insulin sensitivity, while galectin-3 was associated with triglyceride-glucose index (TyG) and fasting insulin levels. Both galectins were associated with inflammatory pathways and fatty acid binding protein (FABP)4 and -5-regulated triglyceride metabolic pathways. Galectin-1 was also associated with several proteins related to adipose tissue differentiation.
Conclusions:
The association profiles for galectin-1 and galectin-3 indicate overlapping metabolic effects in humans, while the distinctly different associations seen with fat mass, fat distribution, and adipose tissue differentiation markers may suggest a functional role of galectin-1 in obesity.
