Distinct inflammatory signatures of upper and lower body adipose tissue and adipocytes in women with normal weight or obesity

Ioannis G. Lempesis, Nicole Hoebers, Yvonne Essers, Johan W. E. Jocken, Rosemary Dineen, Ellen E. Blaak, Konstantinos N. Manolopoulos, Gijs H. Goossens*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

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Abstract

Introduction: Upper and lower body fat accumulation poses an opposing obesity-related cardiometabolic disease risk. Depot-differences in subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) function may underlie these associations. We aimed to investigate the inflammatory signatures of abdominal (ABD) and femoral (FEM) SAT in postmenopausal women with normal weight or obesity.

Methods: We included 23 postmenopausal women with normal weight (n = 13) or obesity (n = 10). In vivo secretion of adipokines from ABD and FEM SAT was measured using the arterio-venous balance technique. Adipokine gene expression and adipocyte morphology were examined in ABD and FEM SAT. Furthermore, adipokine expression and secretion were investigated in vitro using differentiated human primary ABD and FEM subcutaneous adipocytes derived from the study participants.

Results: Plasma leptin and plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI)-1 concentrations were higher, and ABD and FEM adipocytes were larger in women with obesity than normal weight. No differences in adipocyte size and blood flow were apparent between ABD and FEM SAT. We found significant release of leptin and monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP)-1 from ABD and FEM SAT, with higher fractional release of MCP-1 from ABD than FEM SAT. Gene expression of leptin, PAI-1, and tumor necrosis factor-α was lower in ABD than FEM SAT and higher in women with obesity than normal weight. In ABD adipocytes, interleukin-6, PAI-1, and leptin gene expression were higher, while adiponectin and dipeptidyl-peptidase-4 gene expression were lower than in FEM adipocytes. Finally, ABD adipocytes secreted less MCP-1 compared to FEM adipocytes.

Discussion: These findings demonstrate that upper and lower body SAT and adipocytes are characterized by distinct inflammatory signatures in postmenopausal women, which seem independent of adipocyte size.
Original languageEnglish
Article number1205799
Number of pages11
JournalFrontiers in Endocrinology
Volume14
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 26 Jun 2023

Keywords

  • obesity
  • adipokines
  • body fat distribution
  • inflammation
  • adipose tissue

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