Strain-specific Differences in the Effects of Lymphocytes on the Development of Insulin Resistance and Obesity in Mice.

Strain-specific Differences in the Effects of Lymphocytes on the Development of Insulin Resistance and Obesity in Mice. Comp Med. 2018 Feb 01;68(1):15-24 Authors: Kodela E, Moysidou M, Karaliota S, Koutmani Y, Tsakanikas P, Kodella K, Karavia EA, Kypreos KE, Kostomitsopoulos N, Karalis KP Abstract Obesity is characterized as a chronic, low-grade inflammatory disease owing to the infiltration of the adipose tissue by macrophages. Although the role of macrophages in this process is well established, the role of lymphocytes in the development of obesity and metabolism remains less well defined. In the current study, we fed WT and Rag1-/- male mice, of C57BL/6J and BALB/c backgrounds, high-fat diet (HFD) or normal diet for 15 wk. Compared with WT mice, Rag1-/- mice of either of the examined strains were found less prone to insulin resistance after HFD, had higher metabolic rates, and used lipids more efficiently, as shown by the increased expression of genes related to fatty acid oxidation in epidydimal white adipose tissue. Furthermore, Rag1-/- mice had increased Ucp1 protein expression and associated phenotypic characteristics indicative of beige adipose tissue in subcutaneous white adipose tissue and increased Ucp1 expression in brown adipose tissue. As with inflammatory and other physiologic responses previously reported, the responses of mice to HFD show strain-specific differences, with increased susceptibility of C57BL/6J as compa...
Source: Comparative Medicine - Category: Zoology Authors: Tags: Comp Med Source Type: research