Effects of sub-sonic vibration on the proliferation and maturation of 3T3-L1 cells

AimsAlthough low and high intensity sub-sonic vibrations (SSV) have been shown to facilitate wound healing, very few studies have investigated the effects of SSV on 3T3-L1 preadipocytes. Therefore, the present study was undertaken to investigate the influence of SSV on the proliferation and maturation of 3T3-L1 preadipocytes.Main methodsTo evaluate the effect of SSV on 3T3-L1 cell proliferation, the cells were maintained in an apparatus that administered SSV (0.5 V) for 3 days at a frequency of 10, 20, 30, or 40 Hz. In addition, to study the effect of SSV on 3T3-L1 cell maturation, the cells were stimulated with SSV for 6 days at a frequency of 10, 20, 30, or 45 Hz.Key findingsSub-sonic vibrations inhibited the proliferation of 3T3-L1 preadipocytes at frequencies of 20 and 30 Hz. Triglyceride levels in cells subjected to SSV at frequencies ranging from 10 to 30 Hz increased compared with those measured in control cells. The expression of adipogenic genes, such as PPAR-γ and C/EBP-α, markedly increased in response to SSV at 20 Hz and 30 Hz during maturation.SignificanceThese results suggest that SSV affected adipogenic gene expression at 20 and 30 Hz.