Depot-specific expression of fibroblast growth factors in human adipose tissue

Objective: We have investigated the expression of several fibroblast growth factors (FGFs) and FGF-receptors (FGFRs) in human adipose tissue and adipose-tissue cell fractions obtained from both subcutaneous (sc) and omental (om) depots. Research Methods and Procedures: Adipose tissue (sc and om) was obtained from obese men. Gene expression was analyzed by DNA microarrays in triplicate (n = 6) or by real-time polymerase chain reaction (n = 9). Results: FGF-1, FGF-2, FGF-7, FGF-9, FGF-10, and FGF-18 transcripts were detected in human adipose tissue. The expression of FGF-2, FGF-7, and FGF-10 was similar in sc and om adipose tissue, whereas FGF-1 and FGF-9 were expressed at higher levels in the om adipose tissue. Expression of FGF-18 was only detected in om adipose tissue in two of the subjects. Analysis of cell fractions revealed that FGF-2 was only expressed in adipocytes; FGF-7, FGF-9, and FGF-18 were expressed in the stromavascular fraction; and FGF-1 and FGF-10 were expressed in both adipocytes and in the stroma-vascular fraction. FGFR-1 was expressed in both depots in all subjects and in both cell fractions, whereas FGFR-2 expression was undetectable in whole adipose tissue but detectable in the adipocyte fractions from both sc and om depots. Discussion: We show that several members of the FGF family are expressed in human adipose tissue, and that the expression for some of the FGFs differs between sc and om adipose tissue. Taken together with previously published reports on the biological effects of FGFs on adipose cells, our results suggest that locally expressed FGFs could play role in the regulation of regional adipose tissue mass.