Abstract
Objectives
Previously, we showed that loss of ovarian function in mice fed high-fat diet exacerbated insulin resistance and adipose tissue inflammation. In the current study, we tested whether consumption of luteolin, an anti-inflammatory flavonoid, could mitigate adipose tissue inflammation and insulin resistance in obese ovariectomized mice.
Methods
Nine-week-old ovariectomized C57BL/6 mice were fed a low-fat diet (LFD), high-fat diet (HFD), or HFD supplemented with 0.005% luteolin (HFD + L) for 16 weeks. The anti-inflammatory drug salicylate was used as a positive control. Fasting blood glucose, insulin, and insulin resistance index HOMA-IR were measured every 4 weeks. Adipose tissue and spleen were characterized for tissue inflammation by real-time PCR and immune cell populations by flow cytometry after 16 weeks of feeding.
Results
HFD resulted in more body weight gain than LFD in ovariectomized mice and supplementing HFD with 0.005% luteolin did not affect the body weight gain. In addition, HFD elicited a significant elevation in fat mass, which were comparable between HFD and HFD + L groups. However, luteolin supplementation resulted in a significant decrease in CD11c+ macrophages in gonadal adipose tissue, as well as a trend of decrease in macrophage infiltration. Luteolin supplementation also significantly decreased mRNA expression of inflammatory and M1 markers MCP-1, CD11c, TNF-a, and IL-6, while maintaining expression of M2 marker MGL1. We further found that luteolin treatment protected mice from insulin resistance induced by HFD consumption; this improved insulin resistance was correlated with reductions in CD11c+ adipose tissue macrophages.
Conclusions
Our findings indicate that dietary luteolin supplementation attenuates adipose tissue inflammation and insulin resistance found in mice with loss of ovarian function coupled with a HFD intake, and this effect may be partly mediated through suppressing M1-like polarization of macrophages in adipose tissue. These results have clinical implication in implementing dietary intervention for prevention of metabolic syndrome associated with postmenopause and obesity.
Funding Sources
Supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) grant funded by the Korea government (MSIP) (NRF-2018R1A1A1A05078886).
Reduced Vascular Nitric Oxide–cGMP Signaling Contributes to Adipose Tissue Inflammation During High-Fat Feeding