Abstract
Background:
Obesity is currently viewed as a state of chronic low-grade inflammation in which there is a pro-inflammatory alteration in the serum adipocytokine profile as well as an infiltration of white adipose tissue by activated macrophages. The etiology of this inflammation, however, is poorly understood.
Methods:
Hypothesizing that local hypoxia within expanding white adipose tissue depots may contribute to obesity-related inflammation, we compared body composition, serum inflammatory marker concentrations and the expression of several hypoxia-regulated genes in white adipose tissue derived from lean, dietary-induced obese (DIO) and ob/ob male C57BL/6J mice. We also examined white adipose tissue for the presence of hypoxia using both a pimonidazole-based antibody system and a fiberoptic sensor for real-time pO2 quantification in vivo. Finally, using cell-specific leukocyte antibodies, we performed immunohistochemistry and flow cytometric analyses to further characterize the cellular nature of adipose inflammation.
Results:
We determined that obesity in male C57BL/6J mice is associated with increased expression of HIF (hypoxia-inducible factor) isoforms and GLUT-1, and that white adipose tissue hypoxia was present in the obese mice. Immunohistochemistry revealed hypoxic areas to colocalize predominantly with F4/80+ macrophages. Interestingly, CD3+ T cells were present in large numbers within the adipose of both DIO and ob/ob obese mice, and flow cytometry revealed their adipose to possess significantly more CD8+ T cells than their lean cohort.
Conclusions:
White adipose hypoxia and cytotoxic T-cell invasion are features of obesity in C57BL/6J mice and are potential contributors to their local and generalized inflammatory state.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 12 print issues and online access
£169.00 per year
only £14.08 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on SpringerLink
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Mendez MA, Monteiro CA, Popkin BM . Overweight exceeds underweight among women in most developing countries. Am J Clin Nutr 2005; 81: 714–721.
Rigby NJ, Kumanyika S, James WP . Confronting the epidemic: the need for global solutions. J Public Health Policy 2004; 25: 418–434.
Pi-Sunyer FX . The obesity epidemic: pathophysiology and consequences of obesity. Obes Res 2002; 10 (Suppl 2): 97S–104S.
Mokdad AH, Bowman BA, Ford ES, Vinicor F, Marks JS, Koplan JP . The continuing epidemics of obesity and diabetes in the United States. JAMA 2001; 286: 1195–1200.
Mokdad AH, Ford ES, Bowman BA, Dietz WH, Vinicor F, Bales VS et al. Prevalence of obesity, diabetes, and obesity-related health risk factors, 2001. JAMA 2003; 289: 76–79.
Speiser PW, Rudolf MC, Anhalt H, Camacho-Hubner C, Chiarelli F, Eliakim A et al. Childhood obesity. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2005; 90: 1871–1887.
Weisberg SP, McCann D, Desai M, Rosenbaum M, Leibel RL, Ferrante Jr AW . Obesity is associated with macrophage accumulation in adipose tissue. J Clin Invest 2003; 112: 1796–1808.
Berg AH, Scherer PE . Adipose tissue, inflammation, and cardiovascular disease. Circ Res 2005; 96: 939–949.
Browning JD, Horton JD . Molecular mediators of hepatic steatosis and liver injury. J Clin Invest 2004; 114: 147–152.
Wellen KE, Hotamisligil GS . Inflammation, stress, and diabetes. J Clin Invest 2005; 115: 1111–1119.
Pickup JC . Inflammation and activated innate immunity in the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes. Diabetes Care 2004; 27: 813–823.
Hotamisligil GS, Shargill NS, Spiegelman BM . Adipose expression of tumor necrosis factor-alpha: direct role in obesity-linked insulin resistance. Science 1993; 259: 87–91.
Bastard JP, Jardel C, Delattre J, Hainque B, Bruckert E, Oberlin F . Evidence for a link between adipose tissue interleukin-6 content and serum C-reactive protein concentrations in obese subjects. Circulation 1999; 99: 2221–2222.
Fried SK, Bunkin DA, Greenberg AS . Omental and subcutaneous adipose tissues of obese subjects release interleukin-6: depot difference and regulation by glucocorticoid. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 1998; 83: 847–850.
Lin HZ, Yang SQ, Chuckaree C, Kuhajda F, Ronnet G, Diehl AM . Metformin reverses fatty liver disease in obese, leptin-deficient mice. Nat Med 2000; 6: 998–1003.
Cai D, Yuan M, Frantz DF, Melendez PA, Hansen L, Lee J et al. Local and systemic insulin resistance resulting from hepatic activation of IKK-beta and NF-kappaB. Nat Med 2005; 11: 183–190.
Brodmerkel CM, Huber R, Covington M, Diamond S, Hall L, Collins R et al. Discovery and pharmacological characterization of a novel rodent-active CCR2 antagonist, INCB3344. J Immunol 2005; 175: 5370–5378.
Skurk T, Hauner H . Obesity and impaired fibrinolysis: role of adipose production of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord 2004; 28: 1357–1364.
Arkan MC, Hevener AL, Greten FR, Maeda S, Li ZW, Long JM et al. IKK-beta links inflammation to obesity-induced insulin resistance. Nat Med 2005; 11: 191–198.
Hirosumi J, Tuncman G, Chang L, Gorgun CZ, Uysal KT, Maeda K et al. A central role for JNK in obesity and insulin resistance. Nature 2002; 420: 333–336.
Yuan M, Konstantopoulos N, Lee J, Hansen L, Li ZW, Karin M et al. Reversal of obesity- and diet-induced insulin resistance with salicylates or targeted disruption of Ikkbeta. Science 2001; 293: 1673–1677.
Curat CA, Miranville A, Sengenes C, Diehl M, Tonus C, Busse R et al. From blood monocytes to adipose tissue-resident macrophages: induction of diapedesis by human mature adipocytes. Diabetes 2004; 53: 1285–1292.
Xu H, Barnes GT, Yang Q, Tan G, Yang D, Chou CJ et al. Chronic inflammation in fat plays a crucial role in the development of obesity-related insulin resistance. J Clin Invest 2003; 112: 1821–1830.
Semenza GL . HIF-1: mediator of physiological and pathophysiological responses to hypoxia. J Appl Physiol 2000; 88: 1474–1480.
Griffiths JR, Robinson SP . The OxyLite: a fibre-optic oxygen sensor. Br J Radiol 1999; 72: 627–630.
Alessi MC, Juhan-Vague I . Contribution of PAI-1 in cardiovascular pathology. Arch Mal Coeur Vaiss 2004; 97: 673–678.
Hoogeveen RC, Morrison A, Boerwinkle E, Miles JS, Rhodes CE, Sharrett AR et al. Plasma MCP-1 level and risk for peripheral arterial disease and incident coronary heart disease: Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study. Atherosclerosis 2005; 183: 301–307.
Silha JV, Krsek M, Skrha JV, Sucharda P, Nyomba BL, Murphy LJ . Plasma resistin, adiponectin and leptin levels in lean and obese subjects: correlations with insulin resistance. Eur J Endocrinol 2003; 149: 331–335.
Garg A . Adipose tissue dysfunction in obesity and lipodystrophy. Clin Cornerstone 2006; 8 (Suppl 4): S7–S13.
Gleadle JM, Ratcliffe PJ . Induction of hypoxia-inducible factor-1, erythropoietin, vascular endothelial growth factor, and glucose transporter-1 by hypoxia: evidence against a regulatory role for Src kinase. Blood 1997; 89: 503–509.
Zhou JT, Cai ZM, Li NC, Na YQ . Expression of hypoxia inducible factor-1alpha and glucose transporter protein 1 in renal and bladder cancers and the clinical significance thereof. Zhonghua Yi Xue Za Zhi 2006; 86: 1970–1974.
Yaromina A, Zips D, Thames HD, Eicheler W, Krause M, Rosner A et al. Pimonidazole labelling and response to fractionated irradiation of five human squamous cell carcinoma (hSCC) lines in nude mice: The need for a multivariate approach in biomarker studies. Radiother Oncol 2006; 81: 122–129.
Tanaka T, Kato H, Kojima I, Ohse T, Son D, Tawakami T et al. Hypoxia and expression of hypoxia-inducible factor in the aging kidney. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci 2006; 61: 795–805.
Troost EG, Laverman P, Kaanders JH, Philippens M, Lok J, Oyen WJ et al. Imaging hypoxia after oxygenation-modification: comparing [18F]FMISO autoradiography with pimonidazole immunohistochemistry in human xenograft tumors. Radiother Oncol 2006; 80: 157–164.
Nordsmark M, Loncaster J, Aquino-Parsons C, Chou SC, Gebski V, West C et al. The prognostic value of pimonidazole and tumour pO2 in human cervix carcinomas after radiation therapy: a prospective international multi-center study. Radiother Oncol 2006; 80: 123–131.
Jankovic B, Aquino-Parsons C, Raleigh JA, Stanbridge EJ, Durand RE, Banath JP et al. Comparison between pimonidazole binding, oxygen electrode measurements, and expression of endogenous hypoxia markers in cancer of the uterine cervix. Cytometry B Clin Cytom 2006; 70: 45–55.
Urano M, Chen Y, Humm J, Koutcher JA, Zanzonico P, Ling C . Measurements of tumor tissue oxygen tension using a time-resolved luminescence-based optical oxylite probe: comparison with a paired survival assay. Radiat Res 2002; 158: 167–173.
Braun RD, Lanzen JL, Snyder SA, Dewhirst MW . Comparison of tumor and normal tissue oxygen tension measurements using OxyLite or microelectrodes in rodents. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 2001; 280: H2533–H2544.
Wen B, Urano M, O'Donoghue JA, Ling CC . Measurements of partial oxygen pressure pO2 using the OxyLite system in R3327-AT tumors under isoflurane anesthesia. Radiat Res 2006; 166: 512–518.
Tilg H, Moschen AR . Adipocytokines: mediators linking adipose tissue, inflammation and immunity. Nat Rev Immunol 2006; 6: 772–783.
Loffreda S, Yang SQ, Lin HZ, Karp CL, Brengman ML, Wang DJ et al. Leptin regulates proinflammatory immune responses. FASEB J 1998; 12: 57–65.
Grosfeld A, Andre J, Hauguel-De Mouzon S, Berra E, Pouyssegur J, Guerre-Millo M . Hypoxia-inducible factor 1 transactivates the human leptin gene promoter. J Biol Chem 2002; 277: 42953–42957.
Tsatsanis C, Zacharioudaki V, Androulidaki A, Dermitzaki E, Charalampopoulos I, Minas V et al. Adiponectin induces TNF-alpha and IL-6 in macrophages and promotes tolerance to itself and other pro-inflammatory stimuli. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2005; 335: 1254–1263.
Mertens I, Verrijken A, Michiels JJ, Van der Planken M, Ruige JB, Van Gaal LF . Among inflammation and coagulation markers, PAI-1 is a true component of the metabolic syndrome. Int J Obes (London) 2006; 30: 1308–1314.
Tortoriello DV, McMinn JE, Chua SC . Increased expression of hypothalamic leptin receptor and adiponectin accompany resistance to dietary-induced obesity and infertility in female C57BL/6J mice. Int J Obes (London) 2006; 31: 395–402.
Weisberg SP, Hunter D, Huber R, Lemieux J, Slaymaker S, Vaddi K et al. CCR2 modulates inflammatory and metabolic effects of high-fat feeding. J Clin Invest 2005; 116: 115–124.
Cancello R, Henegar C, Viguerie N, Taleb S, Poitou C, Rouault C et al. Reduction of macrophage infiltration and chemoattractant gene expression changes in white adipose tissue of morbidly obese subjects after surgery-induced weight loss. Diabetes 2005; 54: 2277–2286.
Kim YM, An JJ, Jin YJ, Rhee Y, Cha BS, Lee HC et al. Assessment of the anti-obesity effects of the TNP-470 analog, CKD-732. J Mol Endocrinol 2007; 38: 455–465.
Cinti S, Mitchell G, Barbatelli G, Murano I, Ceresi E, Faloia E et al. Adipocyte death defines macrophage localization and function in adipose tissue of obese mice and humans. J Lipid Res 2005; 46: 2347–2355.
Helmlinger G, Yuan F, Dellian M, Jain RK . Interstitial pH and pO2 gradients in solid tumors in vivo: high-resolution measurements reveal a lack of correlation. Nat Med 1997; 3: 177–182.
Brook CG, Lloyd JK, Wolf OH . Relation between age of onset of obesity and size and number of adipose cells. BMJ 1972; 2: 25–27.
Bianciardi P, Fantacci M, Caretti A, Ronchi R, Milano G, Morel S et al. Chronic in vivo hypoxia in various organs: hypoxia-inducible factor-1alpha and apoptosis. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2006; 342: 875–880.
Haase VH . Hypoxia-inducible factors in the kidney. Am J Physiol Renal Physiol 2006; 291: F271–F281.
Papandreou I, Cairns RA, Fontana L, Lim AL, Denko NC . HIF-1 mediates adaptation to hypoxia by actively downregulating mitochondrial oxygen consumption. Cell Metab 2006; 3: 187–197.
Burke B, Giannoudis A, Corke KP, Gill D, Wells M, Ziegler-Heitbrock L et al. Hypoxia-induced gene expression in human macrophages: implications for ischemic tissues and hypoxia-regulated gene therapy. Am J Pathol 2003; 163: 1233–1243.
Cramer T, Yamanishi Y, Clausen BE, Forster I, Pawlinski R, Mackman N et al. HIF-1alpha is essential for myeloid cell-mediated inflammation. Cell 2003; 112: 645–657.
Lewis JS, Landers RJ, Underwood JC, Harris AL, Lewis CE . Expression of vascular endothelial growth factor by macrophages is up-regulated in poorly vascularized areas of breast carcinomas. J Pathol 2000; 192: 150–158.
Leek RD, Landers RJ, Harris AL, Lewis CE . Necrosis correlates with high vascular density and focal macrophage infiltration in invasive carcinoma of the breast. Br J Cancer 1999; 79: 991–995.
Jarpe AJ, Hickman MR, Anderson JT, Winter WE, Peck AB . Flow cytometric enumeration of mononuclear cell populations infiltrating the islets of Langerhans in prediabetic NOD mice: development of a model of autoimmune insulitis for type I diabetes. Reg Immunol 1990; 3: 305–317.
Acknowledgements
This work was supported by a Women's Reproductive Health Research Scholarship, NIH 5 K12 HD001275-04 (DVT).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Rausch, M., Weisberg, S., Vardhana, P. et al. Obesity in C57BL/6J mice is characterized by adipose tissue hypoxia and cytotoxic T-cell infiltration. Int J Obes 32, 451–463 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ijo.0803744
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ijo.0803744