Evaluation of the inhibition of the differentiation of pre-adipocytes into matures adipocytes

Up until today, the key to contouring has been resumed in these two alternatives, either limiting the adipocyte storing capacity by modulating lipogenesis, or by stimulating lipolysis to eliminate adipocyte lipid content. Another interesting way could be the regulation of adipocyte differentiation. In this work, we have evaluated the effect of a brown algal extract of Sphacelaria scoparia (SSE) on the differentiation of pre-adipocytes into adipocytes. A pre-adipocyte line (3T3-L 1) was used. The differentiation was evaluated by the measure of produced lipids thanks to red oil coloration and spectrophotometry, and also by the expression of adipocyte differentiation markers: enzymes such as fatty acid synthase (FAS) and stearoyl CoA desaturase (SCD), or membrane proteins such as glucose transporters (GLUT -4) and fatty acid transporters (FAT) expressed on the surface of human adipocytes. These genes are under control of two transcription factors: CAAT-enhancer binding protein (c/EBP alpha) and sterol response element binding protein (SREBP1). All these markers were analysed at different stages of differentiation by RT -PCR. Sphacelaria extract (SSE) inhibits pre-adipocytes differentiating into adipocytes following a dose-dependant relation, using a kinetics similar to retinoic acid. It decreases the expression of mRNA specific to FAS, FAT, GLUT -4, SCD1, c/EBP alpha and SREBP1. Moreover, SSE regulated on collagen 1 and collagen 4 expression. A stimulation of collagen 1 was also measured in human skin fibroblasts. Thus, SSE performs as a genuine differentiation inhibitor and not only as a lipogenesis inhibitor, and could be used in slimming products.