Linoelaidic acid enhances adipogenic differentiation in adipose tissue-derived stromal cells through suppression of Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway in vitro

• Linoelaidic acid enhances the adipogenic differentiation of ADSCs in vitro.
• Linoelaidic acid down-regulates β-catenin in ADSCs during adipogenesis.
• Enhancement of linoelaidic acid on adipogenesis is involved in Wnt/β-catenin pathway.

Obesity has become a major health problem which is related with high-trans fatty acids diet. Adipogenic differentiation of adipose tissue-derived stromal cells (ADSCs) plays an important role in the development of adipose tissue. In order to determine the effect of trans fatty acids on adipogenic differentiation in ADSCs, cells were treated with linoelaidic acid, as well as linoleic acid and linolenic acid. We found that linoelaidic acid significantly increased the lipid droplet formation and triglyceride content compared with linoleic acid and linolenic acid. Linoelaidic acid also down-regulated the levels of β-catenin in cells and inhibited the accumulation of β-catenin in cell nuclei. Lithium chloride, an activator of Wnt/β-catenin pathway, antagonized the enhancement of linoelaidic acid on adipogenesis and up-regulated the levels of β-catenin in ADSCs. These results indicated that linoelaidic acid could enhance the adipogenic differentiation in ADSCs in vitro, which is partly due to the suppression of Wnt/β-catenin pathway.