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Journal ArticleDOI

The cellular and signaling networks linking the immune system and metabolism in disease

01 Mar 2012-Nature Medicine (Nature Research)-Vol. 18, Iss: 3, pp 363-374
TL;DR: This work discusses how various networks underlie the etiology of the inflammatory component of insulin resistance, with a particular focus on the central roles of macrophages in adipose tissue and liver.
Abstract: It is now recognized that obesity is driving the type 2 diabetes epidemic in Western countries Obesity-associated chronic tissue inflammation is a key contributing factor to type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, and a number of studies have clearly demonstrated that the immune system and metabolism are highly integrated Recent advances in deciphering the various cellular and signaling networks that participate in linking the immune and metabolic systems together have contributed to understanding of the pathogenesis of metabolic diseases and may also inform new therapeutic strategies based on immunomodulation Here we discuss how these various networks underlie the etiology of the inflammatory component of insulin resistance, with a particular focus on the central roles of macrophages in adipose tissue and liver
Citations
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Journal ArticleDOI
13 Sep 2012-Nature
TL;DR: Through increased knowledge of the mechanisms involved in the interactions between the microbiota and its host, the world will be in a better position to develop treatments for metabolic disease.
Abstract: The link between the microbes in the human gut and the development of obesity, cardiovascular disease and metabolic syndromes, such as type 2 diabetes, is becoming clearer. However, because of the complexity of the microbial community, the functional connections are less well understood. Studies in both mice and humans are helping to show what effect the gut microbiota has on host metabolism by improving energy yield from food and modulating dietary or the host-derived compounds that alter host metabolic pathways. Through increased knowledge of the mechanisms involved in the interactions between the microbiota and its host, we will be in a better position to develop treatments for metabolic disease.

3,436 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Substantial insight is provided into the intricate mechanisms of bacterial regulation of the cross-talk between the host and gut microbiota and provides a rationale for the development of a treatment that uses this human mucus colonizer for the prevention or treatment of obesity and its associated metabolic disorders.
Abstract: Obesity and type 2 diabetes are characterized by altered gut microbiota, inflammation, and gut barrier disruption. Microbial composition and the mechanisms of interaction with the host that affect gut barrier function during obesity and type 2 diabetes have not been elucidated. We recently isolated Akkermansia muciniphila, which is a mucin-degrading bacterium that resides in the mucus layer. The presence of this bacterium inversely correlates with body weight in rodents and humans. However, the precise physiological roles played by this bacterium during obesity and metabolic disorders are unknown. This study demonstrated that the abundance of A. muciniphila decreased in obese and type 2 diabetic mice. We also observed that prebiotic feeding normalized A. muciniphila abundance, which correlated with an improved metabolic profile. In addition, we demonstrated that A. muciniphila treatment reversed high-fat diet-induced metabolic disorders, including fat-mass gain, metabolic endotoxemia, adipose tissue inflammation, and insulin resistance. A. muciniphila administration increased the intestinal levels of endocannabinoids that control inflammation, the gut barrier, and gut peptide secretion. Finally, we demonstrated that all these effects required viable A. muciniphila because treatment with heat-killed cells did not improve the metabolic profile or the mucus layer thickness. In summary, this study provides substantial insight into the intricate mechanisms of bacterial (i.e., A. muciniphila) regulation of the cross-talk between the host and gut microbiota. These results also provide a rationale for the development of a treatment that uses this human mucus colonizer for the prevention or treatment of obesity and its associated metabolic disorders.

3,263 citations


Cites background or methods from "The cellular and signaling networks..."

  • ...muciniphilawas inoculated in its basal media as previously described (2), supplemented with Casitone (8 g/L) (Bacto Casitone; BD), and oligofructose (50 g/L) as sole carbon source....

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  • ...Obesity and type 2 diabetes are characterized by altered gut microbiota (1), inflammation (2), and gut barrier disruption (3–5)....

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  • ...Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 109(2):594–599....

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  • ...1D) and normalized the CD11c subpopulation of macrophages in adipose tissue, which is the primary population of increased adipose tissue macrophages in obesity (2) (Fig....

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  • ...muciniphila was confirmed by serially diluting the cecal and fecal content immediately postmortem in anaerobe basal mucinbased medium (2) and confirmed with A....

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Journal ArticleDOI
27 Mar 2014-Cell
TL;DR: In high-income countries, overuse of antibiotics, changes in diet, and elimination of constitutive partners, such as nematodes, may have selected for a microbiota that lack the resilience and diversity required to establish balanced immune responses.

3,257 citations


Cites background from "The cellular and signaling networks..."

  • ...These inflammatory cytokines inhibit insulin signaling, leading to insulin resistance and increased blood sugar (Osborn and Olefsky, 2012)....

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  • ...These inflammatory cytokines inhibit insulin signaling, leading to insulin resis- tance and increased blood sugar (Osborn and Olefsky, 2012)....

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Journal ArticleDOI
Tamás Rőszer1
TL;DR: Whether these M2 markers can be reliably used to identify M2 macrophages and define their functional subdivisions is discussed and an update on the novel signals of the tissue environment and the neuroendocrine system which shape the M2 activation is provided.
Abstract: The alternatively activated or M2 macrophages are immune cells with high phenotypic heterogeneity and are governing functions at the interface of immunity, tissue homeostasis, metabolism, and endocrine signaling. Today the M2 macrophages are identified based on the expression pattern of a set of M2 markers. These markers are transmembrane glycoproteins, scavenger receptors, enzymes, growth factors, hormones, cytokines, and cytokine receptors with diverse and often yet unexplored functions. This review discusses whether these M2 markers can be reliably used to identify M2 macrophages and define their functional subdivisions. Also, it provides an update on the novel signals of the tissue environment and the neuroendocrine system which shape the M2 activation. The possible evolutionary roots of the M2 macrophage functions are also discussed.

1,152 citations


Cites background from "The cellular and signaling networks..."

  • ...For instance, sustaining the M2-like state of some tissue resident macrophages, such as Kupffer cells and adipose tissue macrophages, would diminish the production of inflammatory mediators and thus may be a therapeutic approach to treat metabolic diseases [3, 17]....

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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In the wake of the worldwide increase in type-2 diabetes, a major focus of research is understanding the signaling pathways impacting this disease, which are essential for development of new drugs to treat diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and their complications.
Abstract: In the wake of the worldwide increase in type-2 diabetes, a major focus of research is understanding the signaling pathways impacting this disease. Insulin signaling regulates glucose, lipid, and energy homeostasis, predominantly via action on liver, skeletal muscle, and adipose tissue. Precise modulation of this pathway is vital for adaption as the individual moves from the fed to the fasted state. The positive and negative modulators acting on different steps of the signaling pathway, as well as the diversity of protein isoform interaction, ensure a proper and coordinated biological response to insulin in different tissues. Whereas genetic mutations are causes of rare and severe insulin resistance, obesity can lead to insulin resistance through a variety of mechanisms. Understanding these pathways is essential for development of new drugs to treat diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and their complications.

1,039 citations

References
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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors compared a lifestyle intervention with metformin to prevent or delay the development of Type 2 diabetes in nondiabetic individuals. And they found that the lifestyle intervention was significantly more effective than the medication.
Abstract: Background Type 2 diabetes affects approximately 8 percent of adults in the United States. Some risk factors — elevated plasma glucose concentrations in the fasting state and after an oral glucose load, overweight, and a sedentary lifestyle — are potentially reversible. We hypothesized that modifying these factors with a lifestyle-intervention program or the administration of metformin would prevent or delay the development of diabetes. Methods We randomly assigned 3234 nondiabetic persons with elevated fasting and post-load plasma glucose concentrations to placebo, metformin (850 mg twice daily), or a lifestyle modification program with the goals of at least a 7 percent weight loss and at least 150 minutes of physical activity per week. The mean age of the participants was 51 years, and the mean body-mass index (the weight in kilograms divided by the square of the height in meters) was 34.0; 68 percent were women, and 45 percent were members of minority groups. Results The average follow-up was 2.8 years. The incidence of diabetes was 11.0, 7.8, and 4.8 cases per 100 person-years in the placebo, metformin, and lifestyle groups, respectively. The lifestyle intervention reduced the incidence by 58 percent (95 percent confidence interval, 48 to 66 percent) and metformin by 31 percent (95 percent confidence interval, 17 to 43 percent), as compared with placebo; the lifestyle intervention was significantly more effective than metformin. To prevent one case of diabetes during a period of three years, 6.9 persons would have to participate in the lifestyle-intervention program, and 13.9 would have to receive metformin. Conclusions Lifestyle changes and treatment with metformin both reduced the incidence of diabetes in persons at high risk. The lifestyle intervention was more effective than metformin.

17,333 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Transcript expression in perigonadal adipose tissue from groups of mice in which adiposity varied due to sex, diet, and the obesity-related mutations agouti (Ay) and obese (Lepob) found that the expression of 1,304 transcripts correlated significantly with body mass.
Abstract: Obesity alters adipose tissue metabolic and endocrine function and leads to an increased release of fatty acids, hormones, and proinflammatory molecules that contribute to obesity associated complications. To further characterize the changes that occur in adipose tissue with increasing adiposity, we profiled transcript expression in perigonadal adipose tissue from groups of mice in which adiposity varied due to sex, diet, and the obesity-related mutations agouti (Ay) and obese (Lepob). We found that the expression of 1,304 transcripts correlated significantly with body mass. Of the 100 most significantly correlated genes, 30% encoded proteins that are characteristic of macrophages and are positively correlated with body mass. Immunohistochemical analysis of perigonadal, perirenal, mesenteric, and subcutaneous adipose tissue revealed that the percentage of cells expressing the macrophage marker F4/80 (F4/80+) was significantly and positively correlated with both adipocyte size and body mass. Similar relationships were found in human subcutaneous adipose tissue stained for the macrophage antigen CD68. Bone marrow transplant studies and quantitation of macrophage number in adipose tissue from macrophage-deficient (Csf1op/op) mice suggest that these F4/80+ cells are CSF-1 dependent, bone marrow-derived adipose tissue macrophages. Expression analysis of macrophage and nonmacrophage cell populations isolated from adipose tissue demonstrates that adipose tissue macrophages are responsible for almost all adipose tissue TNF-alpha expression and significant amounts of iNOS and IL-6 expression. Adipose tissue macrophage numbers increase in obesity and participate in inflammatory pathways that are activated in adipose tissues of obese individuals.

8,902 citations


"The cellular and signaling networks..." refers background in this paper

  • ...Activation of inflammatory pathways has since been observed in all classical insulin target tissues, including fa...

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Journal Article
TL;DR: A panel of antigen-specific mouse helper T cell clones was characterized according to patterns of lymphokine activity production, and two types of T cell were distinguished.
Abstract: A panel of antigen-specific mouse helper T cell clones was characterized according to patterns of lymphokine activity production, and two types of T cell were distinguished. Type 1 T helper cells (TH1) produced IL 2, interferon-gamma, GM-CSF, and IL 3 in response to antigen + presenting cells or to Con A, whereas type 2 helper T cells (TH2) produced IL 3, BSF1, and two other activities unique to the TH2 subset, a mast cell growth factor distinct from IL 3 and a T cell growth factor distinct from IL 2. Clones representing each type of T cell were characterized, and the pattern of lymphokine activities was consistent within each set. The secreted proteins induced by Con A were analyzed by biosynthetic labeling and SDS gel electrophoresis, and significant differences were seen between the two groups of T cell line. Both types of T cell grew in response to alternating cycles of antigen stimulation, followed by growth in IL 2-containing medium. Examples of both types of T cell were also specific for or restricted by the I region of the MHC, and the surface marker phenotype of the majority of both types was Ly-1+, Lyt-2-, L3T4+, Both types of helper T cell could provide help for B cells, but the nature of the help differed. TH1 cells were found among examples of T cell clones specific for chicken RBC and mouse alloantigens. TH2 cells were found among clones specific for mouse alloantigens, fowl gamma-globulin, and KLH. The relationship between these two types of T cells and previously described subsets of T helper cells is discussed.

7,567 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
01 Jan 1993-Science
TL;DR: A role for TNF-alpha in obesity and particularly in the insulin resistance and diabetes that often accompany obesity is indicated.
Abstract: Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) has been shown to have certain catabolic effects on fat cells and whole animals. An induction of TNF-alpha messenger RNA expression was observed in adipose tissue from four different rodent models of obesity and diabetes. TNF-alpha protein was also elevated locally and systemically. Neutralization of TNF-alpha in obese fa/fa rats caused a significant increase in the peripheral uptake of glucose in response to insulin. These results indicate a role for TNF-alpha in obesity and particularly in the insulin resistance and diabetes that often accompany obesity.

7,347 citations


"The cellular and signaling networks..." refers background in this paper

  • ...However, the first studies that established the concept of obesity-induced adipose tissue inflammation were conducted by Hotamisligil et al...

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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: It is proposed that obesity-related insulin resistance is, at least in part, a chronic inflammatory disease initiated in adipose tissue, and that macrophage-related inflammatory activities may contribute to the pathogenesis of obesity-induced insulin resistance.
Abstract: Insulin resistance arises from the inability of insulin to act normally in regulating nutrient metabolism in peripheral tissues Increasing evidence from human population studies and animal research has established correlative as well as causative links between chronic inflammation and insulin resistance However, the underlying molecular pathways are largely unknown In this report, we show that many inflammation and macrophage-specific genes are dramatically upregulated in white adipose tissue (WAT) in mouse models of genetic and high-fat diet-induced obesity (DIO) The upregulation is progressively increased in WAT of mice with DIO and precedes a dramatic increase in circulating-insulin level Upon treatment with rosiglitazone, an insulin-sensitizing drug, these macrophage-originated genes are downregulated Histologically, there is evidence of significant infiltration of macrophages, but not neutrophils and lymphocytes, into WAT of obese mice, with signs of adipocyte lipolysis and formation of multinucleate giant cells These data suggest that macrophages in WAT play an active role in morbid obesity and that macrophage-related inflammatory activities may contribute to the pathogenesis of obesity-induced insulin resistance We propose that obesity-related insulin resistance is, at least in part, a chronic inflammatory disease initiated in adipose tissue

6,165 citations


"The cellular and signaling networks..." refers background in this paper

  • ...Activation of inflammatory pathways has since been observed in all classical insulin target tissues, including fa...

    [...]