Abstract
The beneficial effects of brown adipose tissue (BAT) on obesity and associated metabolic diseases are mediated through its capacity to dissipate energy as heat. While immune cells, such as tissue-resident macrophages, are known to influence adipose tissue homeostasis, relatively little is known about their contribution to BAT function. Here we report that neuropilin-1 (NRP1), a multiligand single-pass transmembrane receptor, is highly expressed in BAT-resident macrophages. During diet-induced obesity (DIO), myeloid-resident NRP1 influences interscapular BAT mass, and consequently vascular morphology, innervation density and ultimately core body temperature during cold exposure. Thus, NRP1-expressing myeloid cells contribute to the BAT homeostasis and potentially its thermogenic function in DIO.
Highlights
The beneficial effects of brown adipose tissue (BAT) on obesity and associated metabolic diseases are mediated through its capacity to dissipate energy as heat
In order to investigate the transcriptomic signatures of interscapular brown adipose tissue macrophages compared to resident macrophage populations of other tissues, we analyzed the transcriptomes of fluorescence-activated cell sorted (FACS) native macrophages across various organs[26]
Given the metabolic role of BAT during obesity, we investigated the impact of macrophage-resident NRP1 deficiency on the thermogenic function of interscapular brown adipose tissue (iBAT) in a high-fat diet (HFD) model of weight gain
Summary
The beneficial effects of brown adipose tissue (BAT) on obesity and associated metabolic diseases are mediated through its capacity to dissipate energy as heat. While immune cells, such as tissue-resident macrophages, are known to influence adipose tissue homeostasis, relatively little is known about their contribution to BAT function. WAT participates mainly in energy storage and release[3] whereas BAT and BgAT can metabolize stored lipids to produce heat by a process known as nonshivering thermogenesis or adaptive thermogenesis[4,5]. We investigated the role of NRP1 expressing myeloid cells on BAT biology and the control of thermogenesis
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