Project description:Recent studies have identified intracellular metabolism as a fundamental determinant of macrophage function. In obesity, proinflammatory macrophages accumulate in adipose tissue and trigger chronic low-grade inflammation, that promotes the development of systemic insulin resistance, yet changes in their intracellular energy metabolism are currently unknown. We therefore set out to study metabolic signatures of adipose tissue macrophages (ATMs) in lean and obese conditions. F4/80-positive ATMs were isolated from obese vs lean mice. High-fat feeding of wild-type mice and myeloid-specific Hif1α-/- mice was used to examine the role of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) in ATMs part of obese adipose tissue. In vitro, bone marrow-derived macrophages were co-cultured with adipose tissue explants to examine adipose tissue-induced changes in macrophage phenotypes. Transcriptome analysis, real-time flux measurements, ELISA and several other approaches were used to determine the metabolic signatures and inflammatory status of macrophages. In addition, various metabolic routes were inhibited to determine their relevance for cytokine production. Transcriptome analysis and extracellular flux measurements of mouse ATMs revealed unique metabolic rewiring in obesity characterised by both increased glycolysis and oxidative phosphorylation. Similar metabolic activation of CD14+ cells in obese individuals was associated with diabetes outcome. These changes were not observed in peritoneal macrophages from obese vs lean mice and did not resemble metabolic rewiring in M1-primed macrophages. Instead, metabolic activation of macrophages was dose-dependently induced by a set of adipose tissue-derived factors that could not be reduced to leptin or lactate. Using metabolic inhibitors, we identified various metabolic routes, including fatty acid oxidation, glycolysis and glutaminolysis, that contributed to cytokine release by ATMs in lean adipose tissue. Glycolysis appeared to be the main contributor to the proinflammatory trait of macrophages in obese adipose tissue. HIF-1α, a key regulator of glycolysis, nonetheless appeared to play no critical role in proinflammatory activation of ATMs during early stages of obesity. Our results reveal unique metabolic activation of ATMs in obesity that promotes inflammatory cytokine release. Further understanding of metabolic programming in ATMs will most likely lead to novel therapeutic targets to curtail inflammatory responses in obesity.
Project description:Inflammasome activation in adipose tissue has been implicated in obesity-associated insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. However, when and how inflammasome is activated in adipose tissue remains speculative. Here we test the hypothesis that extracellular ATP, a potent stimulus of inflammasome in macrophages via purinergic receptor P2X, ligand-gated ion channel, 7 (P2X7), may play a role in inflammasome activation in adipose tissue in obesity. Our data show that inflammasome is activated in adipose tissue upon 8-week feeding of 60% HFD, coinciding with the onset of hyperglycemia and hyperinsulinemia as well as the induction of P2X7 in adipose tissue. Unexpectedly, P2X7-deficient animals on HFD exhibit no changes in metabolic phenotypes, nor in inflammatory responses or inflammasome activation when compared to the wildtype controls. Similar observations have been obtained in hematopoietic cell-specific P2X7-deficient animals generated by bone marrow transplantation. Thus, we conclude that inflammasome activation in adipose tissue in obesity coincides with the onset of hyperglycemia and hyperinsulinemia, but unexpectedly, is not mediated by the ATP-P2X7 signaling axis. The nature of the inflammasome-activating danger signal(s) in adipose tissue in obesity remains to be characterized. Wild type and P2X7 knockout mice were fed a low fat diet (chow) or high fat diet for 12 weeks. After the diet intervention period, the animals were killed and epididymal white adipose tissue was removed. Total RNA was isolated and subjected to gene expression profiling.
Project description:Inflammasome activation in adipose tissue has been implicated in obesity-associated insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. However, when and how inflammasome is activated in adipose tissue remains speculative. Here we test the hypothesis that extracellular ATP, a potent stimulus of inflammasome in macrophages via purinergic receptor P2X, ligand-gated ion channel, 7 (P2X7), may play a role in inflammasome activation in adipose tissue in obesity. Our data show that inflammasome is activated in adipose tissue upon 8-week feeding of 60% HFD, coinciding with the onset of hyperglycemia and hyperinsulinemia as well as the induction of P2X7 in adipose tissue. Unexpectedly, P2X7-deficient animals on HFD exhibit no changes in metabolic phenotypes, nor in inflammatory responses or inflammasome activation when compared to the wildtype controls. Similar observations have been obtained in hematopoietic cell-specific P2X7-deficient animals generated by bone marrow transplantation. Thus, we conclude that inflammasome activation in adipose tissue in obesity coincides with the onset of hyperglycemia and hyperinsulinemia, but unexpectedly, is not mediated by the ATP-P2X7 signaling axis. The nature of the inflammasome-activating danger signal(s) in adipose tissue in obesity remains to be characterized.
Project description:Obesity leads to a state of chronic low-grade inflammation that features accumulation of lipid-laden macrophages in adipose tissue. Here, we determined the role of macrophage lipid droplet accumulation in the development of obesity-induced adipose tissue inflammation, using mice with myeloid-specific deficiency of the lipid-inducible HILPDA protein. HILPDA deficiency markedly reduced intracellular lipid levels and accumulation of fluorescently-labeled fatty acids. Decreased lipid storage in HILPDA-deficient macrophages could be rescued by inhibition of adipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL) and was associated with increased oxidative metabolism. In diet-induced obese mice, HILPDA deficiency did not alter inflammatory and metabolic parameters, despite markedly reducing lipid accumulation in macrophages. Overall, we find that HILPDA is a lipid-induced physiological inhibitor of ATGL-mediated lipolysis in macrophages that uncouples lipid storage in adipose tissue macrophages from inflammation and metabolic dysregulation. Our data question the contribution of lipid droplet accumulation in adipose tissue macrophages in obesity-induced inflammation and metabolic dysregulation.
Project description:Obesity leads to a state of chronic low-grade inflammation that features accumulation of lipid-laden macrophages in adipose tissue. Here, we determined the role of macrophage lipid droplet accumulation in the development of obesity-induced adipose tissue inflammation, using mice with myeloid-specific deficiency of the lipid-inducible HILPDA protein. HILPDA deficiency markedly reduced intracellular lipid levels and accumulation of fluorescently-labeled fatty acids. Decreased lipid storage in HILPDA-deficient macrophages could be rescued by inhibition of adipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL) and was associated with increased oxidative metabolism. In diet-induced obese mice, HILPDA deficiency did not alter inflammatory and metabolic parameters, despite markedly reducing lipid accumulation in macrophages. Overall, we find that HILPDA is a lipid-induced physiological inhibitor of ATGL-mediated lipolysis in macrophages that uncouples lipid storage in adipose tissue macrophages from inflammation and metabolic dysregulation. Our data question the contribution of lipid droplet accumulation in adipose tissue macrophages in obesity-induced inflammation and metabolic dysregulation.
Project description:Chronic low-grade visceral white adipose tissue (WAT) inflammation is a hallmark of metabolic syndrome in obesity. Here, we demonstrate that a specific subpopulation of adipose tissue perivascular (PDGFRb+) stromal cells, termed “fibro-inflammatory progenitors” (FIPs), activate pro-inflammatory signaling cascades shortly after the onset of high-fat diet feeding of mice and control the accumulation of pro-inflammatory macrophages in WAT. The activation of FIPs is mediated by the downregulation of ZFP423, identified here as a transcriptional co-regulator of NFkB. Biochemical analysis of ZFP423-protein complexes and ChIP-seq analysis reveal that ZFP423 suppresses the DNA-binding capacity of the p65 subunit of NFkB by inducing a co-regulator switch. Doxycycline-inducible expression of Zfp423 in PDGFRb+ cells suppresses inflammatory signaling in FIPs and attenuates macrophage accumulation within visceral WAT of obese mice. Conversely, inducible inactivation of Zfp423 in PDGFRb+ cells increases FIP activity, exacerbates adipose macrophage accrual, and promotes WAT dysfunction in obese mice. These studies implicate mural cells as sentinels and gatekeepers of adipose tissue inflammation in obesity.
Project description:Background: Obesity is associated with infiltration of macrophages into adipose tissue. Adipose macrophages may contribute to an elevated inflammatory status by secreting a variety of pro-inflammatory mediators, including TNFalpha and IL-6. Recent data suggest that during diet-induced obesity the phenotype of adipose-resident macrophages changes from alternatively activated macrophages towards a more classical and pro-inflammatory phenotype. Here, we explore the effect of PPARγ-activation on obesity-induced inflammation in 129SV mice fed a high fat diet for 20 weeks. High fat feeding increased bodyweight gain, adipose tissue mass and liver triglycerides. Rosiglitazone treatment further increased adipose mass, reduced liver triglycerides and changed adipose tissue morphology towards smaller adipocytes. Surprisingly, rosiglitazone markedly increased the number of macrophages in adipose tissue, as shown by immunohistochemical analysis and quantification of macrophage marker genes CD68 and F4/80+. In adipose tissue, markers for classically activated macrophages including IL-18 were down regulated whereas markers characteristic for alternatively activated macrophages (Arginase 1, IL-10) were up regulated by rosiglitazone. Importantly, conditioned media from rosiglitazone-treated alternatively activated macrophages neutralized the inhibitory effect of macrophages on 3T3-L1 adipocyte differentiation, suggesting that alternatively activated macrophages may be involved in mediating the effects of rosiglitazone on adipose tissue morphology and mass. Our results suggest that short term rosiglitazone treatment increases infiltration of alternatively activated macrophages in adipose tissue. The alternatively activated macrophages might play a role in PPARγ-dependent expansion and remodeling of adipose tissue. Keywords: metabolic state analysis
Project description:Background: Obesity is associated with infiltration of macrophages into adipose tissue. Adipose macrophages may contribute to an elevated inflammatory status by secreting a variety of pro-inflammatory mediators, including TNFalpha and IL-6. Recent data suggest that during diet-induced obesity the phenotype of adipose-resident macrophages changes from alternatively activated macrophages towards a more classical and pro-inflammatory phenotype. Here, we explore the effect of PPARγ-activation on obesity-induced inflammation in 129SV mice fed a high fat diet for 20 weeks. High fat feeding increased bodyweight gain, adipose tissue mass and liver triglycerides. Rosiglitazone treatment further increased adipose mass, reduced liver triglycerides and changed adipose tissue morphology towards smaller adipocytes. Surprisingly, rosiglitazone markedly increased the number of macrophages in adipose tissue, as shown by immunohistochemical analysis and quantification of macrophage marker genes CD68 and F4/80+. In adipose tissue, markers for classically activated macrophages including IL-18 were down regulated whereas markers characteristic for alternatively activated macrophages (Arginase 1, IL-10) were up regulated by rosiglitazone. Importantly, conditioned media from rosiglitazone-treated alternatively activated macrophages neutralized the inhibitory effect of macrophages on 3T3-L1 adipocyte differentiation, suggesting that alternatively activated macrophages may be involved in mediating the effects of rosiglitazone on adipose tissue morphology and mass. Our results suggest that short term rosiglitazone treatment increases infiltration of alternatively activated macrophages in adipose tissue. The alternatively activated macrophages might play a role in PPARγ-dependent expansion and remodeling of adipose tissue. Keywords: metabolic state analysis Pure bred wild-type (129S1/SvImJ) male mice received a low fat diet or high fat diet for 21 weeks, providing 10 or 45% energy percent in the form of triglycerides (D12450B or D12451, Research Diets, New Brunswick, USA). The lard component in these diets was replaced by palm oil. In the last week of diet intervention, half of the mice receiving the HFD were switched to HFD supplemented with Rosiglitazone (0.01 % wt/wt). Animals were sacrificed in the fed state. Epididymal adipose tissue was excised and frozen in liquid nitrogen. Pooled RNA samples from 5 mice per experimental group were used for microarray analysis. Samples were hybridized on Affymetrix GeneChip Mouse Genome 430-2.0 plus arrays. Five microgram total RNA was labelled according to the Affymetrix One-cycle Target Labeling Assay, fragmented and hybridized according to Affymetrix's protocols.
Project description:Obesity-induced inflammation is a major driving force in the development of insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes (T2D) and related metabolic disorders. During obesity, macrophages accumulate in the visceral adipose tissue, creating a low grade inflammatory environment through the production of inflammatory cytokines. NF-κB signaling is a central coordinator of these inflammatory responses and is tightly regulated by the anti-inflammatory protein A20. To understand the role of inflammatory macrophages in insulin resistance and T2D development, we fed myeloid-specific A20 deficient mice (A20myel-KO mice) with a high fat diet, and demonstrate that these mice are completely protected from diet-induced obesity and insulin resistance, despite an inflammatory environment in their metabolic tissues. Macrophages lacking A20 show impaired mitochondrial respiratory function and metabolize more palmitate both in vitro and in vivo. Given the increased macrophage numbers in A20myel-KO mice, we hypothesize that A20 deficient macrophages rely more on palmitate oxidation and metabolize the fat present in the diet, resulting in a lean phenotype and protection from metabolic disease. These findings reveal an unexpected role for A20 in regulating macrophage immunometabolism.
Project description:Chronic low-grade visceral white adipose tissue (WAT) inflammation is a hallmark of metabolic syndrome in obesity. Here, we demonstrate that a subpopulation of adipose tissue perivascular (PDGFRb+) cells, termed “fibro-inflammatory progenitors” (FIPs), activate pro-inflammatory signaling cascades shortly after the onset of high-fat diet feeding of mice and regulate pro-inflammatory macrophage accumulation in WAT in a TLR4-dependent manner. FIPs activation in obesity is mediated by the downregulation of ZFP423, identified here as a transcriptional co-regulator of NFkB. Biochemical analysis of ZFP423-protein complexes and ChIP-seq analysis reveal that ZFP423 suppresses the DNA-binding capacity of the p65 subunit of NFkB by inducing a p300 to NuRD co-regulator switch. Doxycycline-inducible expression of Zfp423 in PDGFRb+ cells suppresses inflammatory signaling in FIPs and attenuates metabolic inflammation of visceral WAT in obesity. Inducible inactivation of Zfp423 in PDGFRb+ cells increases FIP activity, exacerbates adipose macrophage accrual, and promotes WAT dysfunction. These studies implicate perivascular mesenchymal cells as important regulators of chronic adipose tissue inflammation in obesity and identify ZFP423 as a transcriptional break on NFkB signaling.