Open AccessInhibition of distinct steps in the adipocyte differentiation pathway in 3T3 T mesenchymal stem cells by dimethyl sulphoxide (DMSO)
Author(s) -
Wang H.,
Scott R. E.
Publication year - 1993
Publication title -
cell proliferation
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.647
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1365-2184
pISSN - 0960-7722
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2184.1993.tb00006.x
Subject(s) - cellular differentiation , adipocyte , mesenchymal stem cell , microbiology and biotechnology , chemistry , cell culture , cell , dimethyl sulfoxide , biology , 3t3 l1 , biochemistry , adipogenesis , adipose tissue , gene , genetics , organic chemistry
. The process of adipocyte differentiation in murine 3T3 T mesenchymal stem cells involves three well‐defined steps: 1 predifferentiation growth arrest; 2 nonterminal (reversible) differentiation and 3 terminal differentiation associated with the irreversible loss of proliferative potential. To further investigate these processes, the effects of dimethyl sulphoxide (DMSO), an agent that affects differentiation in several other cell systems, was tested. The results show that DMSO modulates two distinct steps of adipocyte differentiation. The first effect is evident when growing 3T3 T cells are cultured in differentiation‐inducing medium in the presence of DMSO. Therein the expression of adipocyte phenotype is inhibited because the cells fail to growtharrest at the predifferentiation growth arrest state. Instead in the presence of DMSO, cells growth‐arrest at a biological state that does not support differentiation. The second effect is evident if nonterminally differentiated adipocytes are cultured in terminal differentiation‐inducing medium containing DMSO. Therein the terminal step in differentiation is inhibited. These inhibitory effects occur in a dosage‐dependent manner; maximum inhibition of differentiation requires 2% DMSO. Therefore, whereas DMSO typically promotes differentiation in other cell systems, DMSO inhibits multiple steps in the process of adipocyte differentiation. These observations support the conclusion that a single pharmacological agent can have markedly different effects on specific cell types. Even more important, the data establish that DMSO can now be used as a tool to study the molecular mechanisms involved in the multistep process of adipocyte differentiation.