Mechanism of the fungal-like particles in the inhibition of adipogenesis in 3T3-L1 adipocytes

The dynamic ability of adipocytes in adipose tissue to store lipid in response to changes in the nutritional input and inflammatory elicitors has a major impact on human health. Previously, we established laminarin-coated beads or LCB as an inflammatory elicitor for adipocytes. However, it was not clear whether LCB inhibits lipid accumulation in adipocytes. Here, we show that LCB acts in the early stage of adipogenesis through both interleukin-1 receptor-associated kinases (IRAK) and spleen tyrosine kinase (SYK) pathways, resulting in the activation of the AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kappa B) complexes, which subsequently cause cell cycle arrest, downregulation of the key transcription factors and enzymes responsible for adipogenesis, inhibition of adipogenesis, and stimulation of an inflammatory response. While LCB could effectively block lipid accumulation during the early stage of adipogenesis, it could stimulate an inflammatory response at any stage of differentiation. Additionally, our results raise a possibility that toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) and C-type lectin domain family 7 member A (CLEC7A/Dectin-1) might be potential beta-glucan receptors on the fat cells. Together, we present the mechanism of LCB, as fungal-like particles, that elicits an inflammatory response and inhibits adipogenesis at the early stage of differentiation.