Sucralose-Enhanced Adipogenesis on Preadipocyte Human Cell Line During Differentiation Process

Area of Science:

• Biochemistry
• Cell Biology
• Metabolic Health

Background:

• Sucralose is a common non-nutritive sweetener found in many daily products.
• Emerging research suggests sucralose may negatively impact the gut microbiome and inflammatory responses.
• Its role in metabolic disease development warrants further investigation, particularly concerning adipose tissue expansion.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effect of sucralose on adipocyte differentiation.
• To determine if sucralose promotes adipogenesis and increases adipose tissue depots in human preadipocytes.
• To analyze the impact of sucralose on the expression of key adipogenesis and inflammation markers.

Main Methods:

• Human preadipocytes (PCS 210 010 cell line) were treated with sucralose at 25 ng/µL (S25) and 100 ng/µL (S100) concentrations.
• Adipocyte differentiation was assessed at 48 and 96 hours.
• Gene expression of adipogenesis markers (CEBP-α, PPARγ, EBF-2, UCP-1) and lipogenesis regulator (ACC) was quantified using qPCR.
• Human cytokine and adipokine secretion was measured via flow cytometry using the Legend Plex Human Cytokine panel.

Main Results:

• Sucralose significantly increased the expression of the white adipocyte differentiation marker CEBP-α and the lipogenesis regulator ACC at 96 hours.
• Sucralose exposure led to the synthesis of inflammatory markers including adiponectin, resistin, IL-6, IL-8, and IL-1β.
• The sweetener stimulated gene expression related to adipogenesis and altered the secretion of inflammatory cytokines and adipokines.

Conclusions:

• Sucralose promotes adipogenesis by upregulating key gene markers during preadipocyte differentiation.
• Sucralose negatively impacts inflammatory cytokine and adipokine secretion, suggesting a pro-inflammatory role.
• These findings indicate that sucralose may contribute to metabolic dysfunction through its effects on adipocyte biology and inflammation.