Mouse Mammary Epithelium Produces a Soluble Heat-Sensitive Macromolecule that Inhibits Differentiation of 3T3-L1 Preadipocytes

Abstract

Coculture of normal mouse mammary gland (NMMG) epithelial cells with 3T3-L1 preadipocytes resulted in inhibition of triglyceride accumulation. This inhibition was also observed when the NMMG cells were grown in inserts and placed within a 100-mm dish containing confluent 3T3-L1 cells. As the number of NMMG-containing inserts was increased, there was a progressive decline in triglyceride content of the 3T3-L1 cells. Conditioned medium from NMMG cells also resulted in a dose-dependent inhibition of adipocyte formation, and when concentrated 10-fold by passage through a filter with a cutoff of 30 kDa, all of the inhibitory activity was recovered. Heating the concentrated conditioned medium at 98°C for 30 min resulted in complete loss of activity. Of several peptides tested, transforming growth factor-β, platelet-derived growth factor, tumor necrosis factor, interleukin 6, and basic fibroblast growth factor showed inhibitory activity, whereas epidermal growth factor, insulin-like growth factor I, and transforming growth factor-α did not.