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Diabetologia
Published in: Diabetologia 11/2013

01-11-2013 | Article

Obesity phenotype is related to NLRP3 inflammasome activity and immunological profile of visceral adipose tissue

Authors: Nathalie Esser, Laurent L’homme, Arnaud De Roover, Laurent Kohnen, André J. Scheen, Michel Moutschen, Jacques Piette, Sylvie Legrand-Poels, Nicolas Paquot

Published in: Diabetologia | Issue 11/2013

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Abstract

Aims/hypothesis

Obesity is a heterogeneous condition comprising both individuals who remain metabolically healthy (MHO) and those who develop metabolic disorders (metabolically unhealthy, MUO). Adipose tissue is also heterogeneous in that its visceral component is more frequently associated with metabolic dysfunction than its subcutaneous component. The development of metabolic disorders is partly mediated by the NLR family pyrin domain containing-3 (NLRP3) inflammasome, which increases the secretion of inflammatory cytokines via activation of caspase-1. We compared the immunological profile and NLRP3 activity in adipose tissue between MUO and MHO individuals.

Methods

MHO and MUO phenotypes were defined, respectively, as the absence and the presence of the metabolic syndrome. Cellular composition and intrinsic inflammasome activity were investigated by flow cytometry, quantitative RT-PCR and tissue culture studies in subcutaneous and visceral adipose tissue from 23 MUO, 21 MHO and nine lean individuals.

Results

We found significant differences between the three study groups, including an increased secretion of IL-1β, increased expression of IL1B and NLRP3, increased number of adipose tissue macrophages and decreased number of regulatory T cells in the visceral adipose tissue of MUO patients compared with MHO and lean participants. In macrophages derived from visceral adipose tissue, both caspase-1 activity and IL-1β levels were higher in MUO patients than in MHO patients. Furthermore, caspase-1 activity was higher in CD11c+CD206+ adipose tissue macrophages than in CD11c−CD206+ cells.

Conclusions/interpretation

The MUO phenotype seems to be associated with an increased activation of the NLPR3 inflammasome in macrophages infiltrating visceral adipose tissue, and a less favourable inflammatory profile compared with the MHO phenotype.
Appendix
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Metadata
Title
Obesity phenotype is related to NLRP3 inflammasome activity and immunological profile of visceral adipose tissue
Authors
Nathalie Esser
Laurent L’homme
Arnaud De Roover
Laurent Kohnen
André J. Scheen
Michel Moutschen
Jacques Piette
Sylvie Legrand-Poels
Nicolas Paquot
Publication date
01-11-2013
Publisher
Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Published in
Diabetologia / Issue 11/2013
Print ISSN: 0012-186X
Electronic ISSN: 1432-0428
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00125-013-3023-9

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