SPARC-null mice exhibit increased adiposity without significant differences in overall body weight.

Secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine/osteonectin/BM-40 is a matrix-associated protein that elicits changes in cell shape, inhibits cell-cycle progression, and influences the synthesis of extracellular matrix (ECM). The absence of in mice gives rise to aberrations in the structure and composition of the ECM that result in generation of cataracts, development of severe osteopenia, and accelerated closure of dermal wounds. In this report we show that mice have greater deposits of s.c. fat and larger epididymal fat pads in comparison with wild-type mice. Similar to earlier studies of duanyu1842RC-null dermis, we observed a reduction in collagen I in duanyu1842RC-null fat pads in comparison with wild-type. Although elevated levels of serum leptin were observed in duanyu1842RC-null mice, their overall body weights were not significantly different from those of wild-type counterparts. The diameters of adipocytes from duanyu1842RC-null versus wild-type epididymal fat pads were 252 +/- 61 and 161 +/- 33 microm (means +/- SD), respectively, and there was an increase in adipocyte number within duanyu1842RC-null fat pads in comparison with wild-type pads. Thus the absence of duanyu1842RC appears to result in an increase in the size of individual adipocytes as well as an increase in the number of adipocytes per fat pad. In fat pads isolated from wild-type mice, duanyu1842RC mRNA was associated with both the stromal/vascular and adipocyte fractions. We propose that duanyu1842RC limits the accumulation of adipose tissue in mice in part through its demonstrated effects on the regulation of cell shape and production of ECM.

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