CD11c Expression in Adipose Tissue and Blood and Its Role in Diet-Induced Obesity

Abstract

Objective-To examine CD11c, a ␤ 2 -integrin, on adipose tissue (AT) leukocytes and blood monocytes and its role in diet-induced obesity. Methods and Results-High-fat diet-induced obese C57BL/6 mice, CD11c-deficient mice, and obese humans were studied. CD11c, leukocytes, and chemokines/cytokines were examined in AT and/or blood by flow cytometry, RNase protection assay, quantitative polymerase chain reaction, or enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Obese C57BL/6 mice had increased CD11c in AT and blood compared with lean controls. CD11c messenger RNA positively correlated with monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 in human visceral AT. Obese humans with metabolic syndrome had a higher CD11c level on blood monocytes compared with lean humans. Low-fat diet-induced weight loss reduced blood monocyte CD11c in obese mice and humans. Mouse and human monocyte CD11c levels and mouse AT CD11c messenger RNA correlated with insulin resistance. CD11c deficiency in mice did not alter weight gain but decreased inflammation, evidenced by a lower T-cell number and reduced levels of major histocompatibility complex class II, C-C chemokine ligand 2 (CCL5), CCL4, and interferon ␥ in AT, and ameliorated insulin resistance and glucose intolerance associated with diet-induced obesity. Conclusions-Diet-induced obesity increased CD11c in both AT and blood in mice and humans. CD11c plays an important role in T-cell accumulation and activation in AT, and contributes to insulin resistance associated with obesity. Key Words: inflammation Ⅲ obesity O besity increases the risk for type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Chronic inflammation, which occurs in obesity, has been acknowledged as an important link between obesity and the development of diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Adipose tissue (AT) synthesizes and secretes proinflammatory substances, such as cytokines, which are upregulated in obesity and may play important roles in mediating obesity-linked insulin resistance. 1 Chemokines, which contribute to inflammation because of their active properties for leukocyte trafficking and activation, have also been shown to be expressed by AT and increased in obesity. 2,3 Along with the increased levels of chemokines, such as monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP) 1, or CCL2, and regulated on activation, normal T-cell expressed and secreted (RANTES), or CCL5, leukocytes, including macrophages and T cells, are increased in AT in obesity, and increased leukocytes in AT may contribute to obesity-linked metabolic abnormalities. 2,4 -7 Initial studies used CD11b and/or F4/80 to define total macrophages in AT. 4,5 Using mice fed a high-fat diet (HFD) for 3 weeks, we first reported a significant increase in CD11cϩ cells in AT. 8 Subsequently, other investigators reported an accumulation of F4/80 ϩ CD11c ϩ leukocytes in the AT of obese mice. 9,10 CD11c ϩ leukocytes in the AT of obese mice show proinflammatory characteristics of classically activated macrophages (M1) 9,10 and were demonstrated to play an important role in obesity-linked AT inflam...

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