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L’obésité représente un défi sanitaire global et substantiel. Engendrant de nombreuses comorbidités, son incidence augmente dans toutes les régions du monde et fait peser un poids important aussi bien sur les sociétés que les individus. Comprendre ses mécanismes et développer des stratégies thérapeutiques efficaces est donc un enjeu essentiel. A l’homéostasie, le tissu adipeux présente un environnement de type 2 anti-inflammatoire essentiel à sa fonction. La production de cytokines de type 2 (i.e. IL-5, IL-13) par les cellules lymphoïdes innées de type 2 (ILC2), et potentiellement les lymphocytes Th2, a notamment été associée au maintien de l’homéostasie par différents mécanismes impliquant l’accumulation d’éosinophiles et de macrophages anti-inflammatoires. Durant l’obésité, l’infiltrat immunitaire du tissu adipeux est profondément modifié. Les populations résidentes anti-inflammatoires deviennent alors dysfonctionnelles tandis que des cellules inflammatoires s’accumulent et mènent au développement d’une inflammation systémique chronique et de bas grade responsable des nombreuses comorbidités liées à l’obésité. De plus en plus d’études suggèrent que le maintien ou la restauration des populations anti-inflammatoires du tissu adipeux permet de limiter le développement de l’obésité et des troubles métaboliques associés. Identifier les mécanismes menant à la dysfonction des cellules anti-inflammatoires du tissu adipeux durant l’obésité présente donc un intérêt thérapeutique certain. Ce travail a ainsi permis d’identifier le rôle inattendu de deux voies de costimulation dans l’inhibition de la réponse de type 2 dans le tissu adipeux durant l’obésité. Premièrement, le récepteur costimulateur CD27, préalablement connu pour favoriser le développement de réponses lymphocytaires de type 1, a été identifié comme un régulateur négatif des Th2 du tissu adipeux, limitant à la fois leur survie et leur fonction. Ainsi, les souris CD27KO affichent un nombre de Th2 fonctionnels supé, Doctorat en Sciences, info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

L’intestin et son épithélium sont encore aujourd’hui principalement considérés pour leurs capacités à absorber les nutriments, essentiels pour subvenir aux besoins énergétiques de l’organisme. Mais dans un monde où une alimentation de qualité voire curative est de plus en plus recherchée, les autres capacités intestinales non moins importantes entourant la nutrition ne peuvent plus être ignorées, telle que la notion émergente de microbiote intestinal ou comme la fonction plus antérieure de régulation entéroendocrine. C’est au travers de cette dernière propriété que nous avons tenté de mettre en évidence de nouvelles fonctions attribuées au récepteur nucléaire HNF4α, préalablement impliqué dans le maintien de l’homéostasie des cellules épithéliales intestinales, mais également dans la gestion des lipides au niveau hépatique et dans la sécrétion d’insuline par le pancréas associée à une forme de diabète monogénique : le MODY1. En supposant un certain parallèle entre la régulation de l’insuline et la fonction entéroendocrine, nous relions pour la première fois l’activité épithéliale intestinale de HNF4α à la régulation des incrétines GLP-1 et GIP, dont le gène est directement activé par HNF4α. Les incrétines partagent des rôles similaires et sont principalement étudiées pour leur insulinotropisme visant à augmenter la sécrétion d’insuline induite par le glucose, mais elles démontrent également des effets adipotropes et ostéoprotecteurs. Nous avons alors investigué le potentiel de l’activité intestinale de HNF4α à pouvoir réguler la physiologie murine en tirant avantage d’un modèle de délétion conditionnel à l’épithélium intestinal (Hnf4αΔIEC). Nous prouvons ainsi que la perte de Hnf4α entraine une déficience partielle mais particulière de GIP. Basé sur la biologie des incrétines, l’homéostasie glycémique est d’abord contrôlée mais ne montre pas d’altérations significatives, alors que la santé osseuse est au contraire négativement affectée par la perte épithéliale intes

Background: Type 2 diabetes is one of the leading non-infectious diseases worldwide and closely relates to excess adipose tissue accumulation as seen in obesity. Specifically, hypertrophic expansion of adipose tissues is related to increased cardiometabolic risk leading to type 2 diabetes. Studying mechanisms underlying adipocyte hypertrophy could lead to the identification of potential targets for the treatment of these conditions. Results: We present iTC1390adip, a highly curated metabolic network of the human adipocyte presenting various improvements over the previously published iAdipocytes1809. iTC1390adip contains 1390 genes, 4519 reactions and 3664 metabolites. We validated the network obtaining 92.6% accuracy by comparing experimental gene essentiality in various cell lines to our predictions of biomass production. Using flux balance analysis under various test conditions, we predict the effect of gene deletion on both lipid droplet and biomass production, resulting in the identification of 27 genes that could reduce adipocyte hypertrophy. We also used expression data from visceral and subcutaneous adipose tissues to compare the effect of single gene deletions between adipocytes from each compartment. Conclusions: We generated a highly curated metabolic network of the human adipose tissue and used it to identify potential targets for adipose tissue metabolic dysfunction leading to the development of type 2 diabetes

Sparse profiling of CpG methylation in blood by microarrays has identified epigenetic links to common diseases. Here we apply methylC-capture sequencing (MCC-Seq) in a clinical population of ~200 adipose tissue and matched blood samples (Ntotal~400), providing high-resolution methylation profiling (>1.3 M CpGs) at regulatory elements. We link methylation to cardiometabolic risk through associations to circulating plasma lipid levels and identify lipid-associated CpGs with unique localization patterns in regulatory elements. We show distinct features of tissue-specific versus tissue-independent lipid-linked regulatory regions by contrasting with parallel assessments in ~800 independent adipose tissue and blood samples from the general population. We follow-up on adipose-specific regulatory regions under (1) genetic and (2) epigenetic (environmental) regulation via integrational studies. Overall, the comprehensive sequencing of regulatory element methylomes reveals a rich landscape of functional variants linked genetically as well as epigenetically to plasma lipid traits.

The sexual dimorphism in human body fat distribution suggests a causal role for sex hormones. This is of particular importance when considering the role of excess visceral adipose tissue accumulation as a critical determinant of obesity‐related cardiometabolic alterations. Scientific literature on the modulation of body fat distribution by androgens in humans is abundant, remarkably inconsistent and difficult to summarize. We reviewed relevant literature on this topic, with a particular emphasis on androgen replacement, androgen effects on selected parameters of adipose tissue function and adipose tissue steroid‐converting enzymes. In men, low androgenic status mostly reflected by reduced total testosterone is a frequent feature of visceral obesity and the metabolic syndrome. Regarding testosterone therapy, however, studies must be appreciated in the context of current controversies on their cardiovascular effects. Analyses of available studies suggest that decreases in waist circumference in response to testosterone are more likely observed in men with low levels of testosterone and high BMI at study onset. In women with androgen excess, higher testosterone and free testosterone levels are fairly consistent predictors of increased abdominal and/or visceral adipose tissue accumulation, which is not the case in nonhyperandrogenic women. Regarding mechanisms, androgens decrease adipogenesis and markers of lipid storage in vitro in men and women. Evidence also suggest that local steroid transformations by adipose tissue steroid‐converting enzymes expressed in a depot‐specific fashion may play a role in androgen‐mediated modulation of body fat distribution. Accumulating evidence shows that androgens are critical modulators of body fat distribution in both men and women.

Objective: To assess the ability of CT-derived measurements including adipose tissue attenuation and area to predict fat cell hypertrophy and related cardiometabolic risk. Methods: Abdominal adipose tissue areas and radiologic attenuation were assessed using 4 CT images in 241 women (age: 47 years, BMI: 26.5 kg/m2). Fat cell weight was measured in paired VAT and SAT samples. Fasting plasma lipids, glucose and insulin levels were measured. Results: Adipose tissue attenuation was negatively correlated with SAT (r=-0.46) and VAT (r=-0.67) fat cell weight in the corresponding depot (p<0.0001 for both). Women with visceral adipocyte hypertrophy had higher total-, VLDL-, LDL- and HDL-triglyceride and apoB levels as well as a higher cholesterol/HDL-cholesterol ratio, fasting glucose and insulin levels compared to women with smaller visceral adipocytes. Adjustment for VAT area minimized these differences while subsequent adjustment for attenuation eliminated all differences, with the exception of fasting glycaemia. In SAT, adjustment for VAT area and attenuation eliminated all adipocyte hypertrophy-related alterations except for fasting hyperglycaemia. Conclusion: CT-derived adipose tissue attenuation and area both contribute to explain variation in the cardiometabolic risk profile associated with the same biological parameter: visceral fat cell hypertrophy.

Background Leptin (LEP) and adiponectin (ADIPOQ) genes encode adipokines that are mainly secreted by adipose tissues, involved in energy balance and suspected to play a role in the pathways linking adiposity to impaired glucose and insulin homeostasis. We have thus hypothesized that LEP and ADIPOQ DNA methylation changes might be involved in obesity development and its related complications. The objective of this study was to assess whether LEP and ADIPOQ DNA methylation levels measured in subcutaneous (SAT) and visceral adipose tissues (VAT) are associated with anthropometric measures and metabolic profile in severely obese men and women. These analyses were repeated with DNA methylation profiles from blood cells obtained from the same individuals to determine whether they showed similarities. Methods Paired SAT, VAT and blood samples were obtained from 73 severely obese patients undergoing a bioliopancreatic diversion with duodenal switch. LEP and ADIPOQ DNA methylation and mRNA levels were quantified using bisulfite-pyrosequencing and qRT-PCR respectively. Pearson’s correlation coefficients were computed to determine the associations between LEP and ADIPOQ DNA methylation levels, anthropometric measures and metabolic profile. Results DNA methylation levels at the ADIPOQ gene locus in SAT was positively associated with BMI and waist girth whereas LEP DNA methylation levels in blood cells were negatively associated with body mass index (BMI). Fasting LDL-C levels were found to be positively correlated with DNA methylation levels at LEP-CpG11 and -CpG17 in blood and SAT and with ADIPOQ DNA methylation levels in SAT (CpGE1 and CpGE3) and VAT (CpGE1). Conclusions These results confirm that LEP and ADIPOQ epigenetic profiles are associated with obesity. We also report associations between LDL-C levels and both LEP and ADIPOQ DNA methylation levels suggesting that LDL-C might regulate their epigenetic profiles in adipose tissues. Furthermore, similar correlations were o

Objective: The CD163 glycoprotein is a member of the scavenger receptor cysteine-rich superfamily acting as an inflammatory modulator inducing anti-inflammatory pathways. Previous findings from our group identified this gene as being differentially expressed in visceral adipose tissue (VAT) of severely obese men with vs. without the metabolic syndrome. The current study aimed to test the association between CD163 gene polymorphisms and obesity-related metabolic complications. Methods: Sequencing of the CD163 gene region was conducted in 25 severely obese individuals. Eleven tagging SNPs (tSNP) were selected and tested for association with obesity-related complications in nearly 1900 severely obese individuals. To further explore potential mechanisms underlying associations identified, the impact of tSNPs on methylation levels of 3 CpG sites (two promoter and one intronic) and gene expression levels were tested in a subset of 14 individuals. Results: Rare allele carriers for rs7980201 demonstrated lower fasting total cholesterol (total-C) levels (p=0.01) while rs4883263 rare allele carriers had increased total-C (p=0.04) and triglyceride (TG) levels (p=0.01). An association identified between rs7980201 SNP and methylation level of a promoter CpG site (p=0.04) suggested an impact on CD163 gene methylation in VAT, but such association was not reflected at gene expression level. Conclusion: The current study reports association of CD136 gene variations with fasting total-C and TG levels and suggests that CD163 SNPs could contribute to the inter-individual variability observed in obesity-related metabolic complications.

Background Plasminogen activator inhibitor type-1 (PAI-1) has already been associated with atherosclerosis; myocardial infarction; and cardiovascular disease risk factors such as obesity, insulin resistance, and dyslipidemia. However, factors regulating PAI-1 adipose tissue (AT) gene expression and plasma levels are not yet well defined. Aim This study aims to assess the contribution of PAI-1 omental AT mRNA levels and genetic and metabolic factors to variation in plasma PAI-1 concentrations. Methods Ninety-one non-diabetic premenopausal severely obese women (body mass index, BMI >35 kg/m2) undergoing bariatric surgery were phenotyped (fasting plasma glucose, lipid-lipoprotein, and PAI-1 levels) and genotyped for four PAI-1 polymorphisms. Omental AT PAI-1 mRNA levels were determined using real-time polymerase chain reaction. Stepwise regression analysis was used to identify independent PAI-1 AT mRNA and plasma level predictors. Results Among the variables included to the stepwise regression analysis, plasma high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol (r = 0.38; p = 0.0004) and total cholesterol (r = 0.16; p = 0.0541) levels were the only two (out of 12) independent variables retained as predictive of PAI-1 omental AT mRNA levels, whereas BMI (r = 0.35; p = 0.0039), plasma HDL-cholesterol concentrations (r = −0.31; p = 0.0375), PAI-1 omental AT mRNA levels (r = 0.19; p = 0.0532) and PAI-1-844G/A (p = 0.0023), and rs6092 (p.A15T; p = 0.0358) polymorphisms contributed independently to plasma PAI-1 concentrations. Taken together, these variables explained 17.8% and 31.0% of the variability in PAI-1 AT mRNA and plasma levels, respectively. Conclusion These results suggest that PAI-1 polymorphisms contribute significantly to PAI-1 plasma levels but do not support the notion that omental AT is one of its major source.

Most genome-wide methylation studies (EWAS) of multifactorial disease traits use targetedarrays or enrichment methodologies preferentially covering CpG-dense regions, tocharacterize sufficiently large samples. To overcome this limitation, we present here a newcustomizable, cost-effective approach, methylC-capture sequencing (MCC-Seq), forsequencing functional methylomes, while simultaneously providing genetic variationinformation. To illustrate MCC-Seq, we use whole-genome bisulfite sequencing on adiposetissue (AT) samples and public databases to design AT-specific panels. We establish itsefficiency for high-density interrogation of methylome variability by systematic comparisonswith other approaches and demonstrate its applicability by identifying novel methylationvariation within enhancers strongly correlated to plasma triglyceride and HDL-cholesterol,including atCD36. Our more comprehensive AT panel assesses tissue methylation andgenotypes in parallel atB4 andB3 M sites, respectively. Our study demonstrates thatMCC-Seq provides comparable accuracy to alternative approaches but enables more efficientcataloguing of functional and disease-relevant epigenetic and genetic variants for large-scale EWAS.

Aims: To test the potential association of cytosine-phosphate-guanine dinucleotides (CpG)-single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) located within actin-related protein 2/3 complex subunit 3 (ARPC3), a gene recently linked to adipogenesis and lipid accumulation, with metabolic syndrome (MetS) features in severely obese patients. Methods: Prioritized SNPs within the ARPC3 locus were genotyped and tested for associations with MetS features in a cohort of 1,749 obese patients with and without MetS. Association testing with CpG methylation levels was performed in a methylation sub-cohort of 16 obese men. Results: A significant association was found between the CpG-SNP rs3759384 (C>T) and plasma triglyceride (TG) levels (false discovery rate-corrected p = 3.5 × 10-2), with 0.6% of the phenotypic variance explained by the CpG-SNP, and with TT homozygotes showing the highest plasma TG levels (1.89 mmol/l). The carriers of the rs3759384 T allele also showed a significant decrease in methylation levels of the ARPC3 promoter-associated CpG site cg10738648 in both visceral adipose tissue and blood. ARPC3 expression levels showed a strong correlation with plasma TG levels (r = 0.70; p = 0.02). Conclusions: The increased plasma TG levels found in homozygous rs3759384 T allele carriers argue for a relevant role of this CpG-SNP in lipid management among obese individuals, which may be driven by an epigenetic-mediated mechanism.

Introduction: Diacylglycerol kinase-zeta, one of the ten isoforms of DGKs expressed in mammals is an important enzyme of lipid metabolism. It catalyzes the interconversion of diacylglycerol and phosphatidic acid, two major second messengers. Its gene DGKZ has been previously identified as being overexpressed and undermethylated in visceral adipose tissue of patients with (MetS+) versus without (MetS-) the metabolic syndrome (MetS). Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the associations between DGKZ gene polymorphisms (SNPs) and phenotypes related to MetS (BMI, waist girth, CRP, fasting glucose, lipid profile (triglycerides, total-cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol and HDL-cholesterol (HDL-C)), resting systolic and diastolic blood pressures). Methods: The study sample included 1752 severely obese participants who underwent bariatric surgery. Associations between the five selected tSNPs of DGKZ and features of the MetS were tested. The effects of these SNPs on DGKZ methylation and expression levels were tested in subgroups of 32 and 14 obese subjects, respectively. Correlations between methylation and expression levels were also computed. Results: Homozygotes for the rare allele of rs10838599 displayed higher plasma HDL-C concentrations compared to the other genotype groups (p=0.03). For gene methylation, only a trend with the cg05412031 CpG site (p=0.09) was found for the single significantly phenotype-associated SNP. There was no significant correlation between DGKZ methylation at cg05412031 and expression levels. Conclusion: These results suggest that DGKZ SNP rs10838599 modulates plasma HDL-C levels thereby its gene contributes to the inter-individual variability observed in the cardiometabolic risk profile of patients with severe obesity.

The DUSP1 gene encodes a member of the dual-specificity phosphatase family previously identified as being differentially expressed in visceral adipose tissue (VAT) of severely obese men with versus without the metabolic syndrome. Objective. To test the association between DUSP1 polymorphisms, obesity-related metabolic complications, gene methylation, and expression levels in VAT. Methods. The DUSP1 locus and promoter region were sequenced in 25 individuals. SNPs were tested for association with obesity-related complications in a cohort of more than 1900 severely obese individuals. The impact of SNPs on methylation levels of 36 CpG sites and correlations between DNA methylation and gene expression levels in VAT were computed in a subset of 14 samples. Results. Heterozygotes for rs881150 had lower HDL-cholesterol levels (HDL-C; P = 0.01), and homozygotes for the minor allele of rs13184134 and rs7702178 had increased fasting glucose levels (P = 0.04 and 0.01, resp.). rs881150 was associated with methylation levels of CpG sites located ~1250 bp upstream the transcription start site. Methylation levels of 4 CpG sites were inversely correlated with DUSP1 gene expression. Conclusion. These results suggest that DUSP1 polymorphisms modulate plasma glucose and HDL-C levels in obese patients possibly through alterations of DNA methylation and gene expression levels.

The presence of estrogens, androgens and glucocorticoids as well as their receptors and steroid converting enzymes in adipose tissue has been established. Their contribution to diseases such as obesity, diabetes and hormone-dependent cancers is an active area of research. Our objective was to develop a LC–MS/MS method to quantify bioactive estrogens and glucocorticoids simultaneously in human adipose tissue. Estrogens and glucocorticoids were extracted from adipose tissue samples using solid-phase extraction. Estrogens were derivatized using 1-(2,4-dinitro-5-fluorophenyl)-4-methylpiperazine (PPZ) and methyl iodide to generate a permanently charged molecule (MPPZ). Steroids were separated and quantified by LC–MS/MS. The limit of quantitation for the steroids was between 15 and 100 pg per sample. Accuracy and precision were acceptable (<20%). Using this method, estradiol, estrone, cortisone and cortisol were quantified in adipose tissue from women with and without breast cancer. This novel assay of estrogens and glucocorticoids by LC–MS/MS coupled with derivatization allowed simultaneous quantification of a panel of steroids in human adipose tissue across the endogenous range of concentrations encountered in health and disease.

Several investigations have suggested that body fat distribution is influenced by nonpathologic variations in the responsiveness to Cortisol. Genetic variations in the glucocorticoid receptor (GRL) could therefore potentially have an impact on the level of abdominal fat. A restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) has previously been detected with the BelI restriction enzyme in the GRL gene identifying two alleles with fragment lengths of 4.5 and 2.3 kb. This study investigates whether abdominal fat areas measured by computerized tomography (CT) are associated with this polymorphism in 152 middle-aged men and women. The less frequent 4.5-kb allele was found to be associated with a higher abdominal visceral fat (A VF) area independently of total body fat mass (4.5/4.5 vs. 2.3/2.3 kb genotype; men: 190.7 ± 30.1 vs. 150.7 ± 33.3 cm2, p=0.04; women: 132.7 ± 37.3 vs. 101.3 ± 34.5 cm2, p=0.06). However, the association with AVF was seen only in subjects of the lower tertile of the percent body fat level. In these subjects, the polymorphism was found to account for 41% (p=0.003) and 35% (p=0.007), in men and women, respectively, of the total variance in AVF area. The consistent association between the GRL polymorphism detected with BelI and AVF area suggests that this gene or a locus in linkage disequilibrium with the BelI restriction site may contribute to the accumulation of AVF.

Background: Caloric restriction is recommended for the treatment of obesity, but it is generally characterized by large interindividual variability in responses. The factors affecting the magnitude of weight loss remain poorly understood. Epigenetic factors (ie, heritable but reversible changes to genomic function that regulate gene expression independently of DNA sequence) may explain some of the interindividual variability seen in weight-loss responses. Objective: The objective was to determine whether epigenetics and gene expression changes may play a role in weight-loss responsiveness. Design: Overweight/obese postmenopausal women were recruited for a standard 6-mo caloric restriction intervention. Abdominal subcutaneous adipose tissue biopsy samples were collected before (n = 14) and after (n = 14) intervention, and the epigenomic and transcriptomic profiles of the high and low responders to dieting, on the basis of changes in percentage body fat, were compared by using microarray analysis. Results: Significant DNA methylation differences at 35 loci were found between the high and low responders before dieting, with 3 regions showing differential methylation after intervention. Some of these regions contained genes known to be involved in weight control and insulin secretion, whereas others were localized in known imprinted genomic regions. Differences in gene expression profiles were observed only after dieting, with 644 genes being differentially expressed between the 2 groups. These included genes likely to be involved in metabolic pathways related to angiogenesis and cerebellar long-term depression. Conclusions: These data show that both DNA methylation and gene expression are responsive to caloric restriction and provide new insights about the molecular pathways involved in body weight loss as well as methylation regulation during adulthood.

We investigated interindividual variability in gene expression in abdominal subcutaneous (SC) and omental (OM) adipose tissue of 10 massively obese men. Affymetrix human U133A microarrays were used to measure gene expression levels. A total of 6811 probesets generated significant signal in both depots in all samples. Interindividual variability in gene expression was rather low, with more than 90% of transcripts showing a coefficient of variation (CV) lower than 23.6% and 21.7% in OM and SC adipose tissues, respectively. The distributions of CV were similar between the two fat depots. A set of highly variable genes was identified for both tissues on the basis of a high CV and elevated gene expression level. Among the set of highly regulated genes, 18 transcripts were involved in lipid metabolism and 28 transcripts were involved in cell death for SC and OM samples, respectively. In conclusion, gene expression interindividual variability was rather low and globally similar between fat compartments, and the adipose tissue transcriptome appeared as relatively stable, although specific pathways were found to be highly variable in SC and OM depots.

Background : The dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP4) enzyme is a novel adipokine potentially involved in the development of the metabolic syndrome (MetS). Previous observations demonstrated higher visceral adipose tissue (VAT) DPP4 gene expression in non-diabetic severely obese men with (MetS+) vs. without (MetS−) MetS. DPP4 mRNA abundance in VAT correlated also with CpG site methylation levels (%Meth) localized within and near its exon 2 (CpG94 to CpG102) in non-diabetic severely obese women, regardless of their MetS status. The actual study tested whether DPP4 %Meth levels in VAT are different between MetS− and MetS+ non-diabetic severely obese subjects, whether variable metabolic and plasma lipid profiles are observed between DPP4 %Meth quartiles, and whether correlation exists in DPP4 %Meth levels between VAT and white blood cells (WBCs). Methods : DNA was extracted from the VAT of 26 men (MetS−: n=12, MetS+: n=14) and 79 women (MetS−: n=60; MetS+: n=19), as well as from WBCs in a sub-sample of 17 women (MetS−: n=9; MetS+: n=8). The %Meth levels of CpG94 to CpG102 were assessed by pyrosequencing of sodium bisulfite-treated DNA. ANOVA analyses were used to compare the %Meth of CpGs between MetS− and MetS+ groups, and to compare the metabolic phenotype and plasma lipid levels between methylation quartiles. Pearson correlation coefficient analyses were computed to test the relationship between VAT and WBCs CpG94-102 %Meth levels. Results : No difference was observed in CpG94-102 %Meth levels between MetS− and MetS+ subjects in VAT (P=0.67), but individuals categorized into CpG94-102 %Meth quartiles had variable plasma total-cholesterol concentrations (P=0.04). The %Meth levels of four CpGs in VAT were significantly correlated with those observed in WBCs (r=0.55−0.59, P≤0.03). Conclusions : This study demonstrated that %Meth of CpGs localized within and near the exon 2 of the DPP4 gene in VAT are not associated with MetS status. The actual study also revealed an associati

Mature adipocytes have been recently shown to reverse their phenotype into fibroblast-like cells in vitro through a technique called ceiling culture. Mature adipocytes can also be isolated from fresh adipose tissue for depot-specific characterization of their function and metabolic properties. Here, we describe a well-established protocol to isolate mature adipocytes from adipose tissues using collagenase digestion, and subsequent steps to perform ceiling cultures. Briefly, adipose tissues are incubated in a Krebs-Ringer-Henseleit buffer containing collagenase to disrupt tissue matrix. Floating mature adipocytes are collected on the top surface of the buffer. Mature cells are plated in a T25-flask completely filled with media and incubated up-side down for a week. An alternative 6-well plate culture approach allows the characterization of adipocytes undergoing dedifferentiation. Adipocyte morphology drastically changes over time of culture. Immunofluorescence can be easily performed on slides cultivated in 6-well plate as demonstrated 65 by FABP4 immunofluorescence staining. FABP4 protein is present in mature adipocytes but down-regulated through dedifferentiation of fat cells. Mature adipocyte dedifferentiation may represent a new avenue for cell therapy and tissue engineering.

Obesity is a heterogeneous disease and is associated with comorbidities such as type 2 diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease and cancer. Several studies have examined the role of dysfunctional adipose tissue in the pathogenesis of obesity, highlighting the contrasting properties and impact of distinct fat compartments, sometimes with contradictory results. Dysfunctional adipose tissue involves enlargement, or hypertrophy, of pre-existing fat cells, which is thought to confer increases in cardiometabolic risk, independent of the level of obesity per se. In this article, we critically analyze available literature that examined the ability of adipocyte cell size to predict metabolic disease and adipose tissue dysfunction in humans. Many studies demonstrate that increased fat cell size is a significant predictor of altered blood lipid profiles and glucose–insulin homeostasis independent of adiposity indices. The contribution of visceral adiposity to these associations appears to be of particular importance. However, available studies are not unanimous and many fat depot-specific aspects of the relationship between increased fat cell size and cardiometabolic risk or parameters of adipose tissue dysfunction are still unresolved. Methodological factors such as the approach used to express the data may represent significant confounders in these studies. Additional studies should consider the fact that the relationship between fat cell size and common adiposity indices is non-linear, particularly when reaching the obese range. In conclusion, our analysis demonstrates that fat cell size is a significant predictor of the cardiometabolic alterations related to obesity. We propose that adipocyte hypertrophy, especially in the visceral fat compartment, may represent a strong marker of limited hyperplasic capacity in subcutaneous adipose tissues, which in turn is associated with the presence of numerous cardiometabolic alterations.

Adipose tissue located within the abdominal cavity has been suggested to be functionally and metabolically distinct from that of the subcutaneous compartment. These differences could play a role in obesity‐related complications. The aim of this study was to compare gene expression profiles of subcutaneous and visceral adipose tissues of 10 nondiabetic, normolipidemic obese men. Affymetrix human U133A arrays (10 arrays for subcutaneous fat samples and 10 arrays for visceral fat samples) were used. Differential gene expression was confirmed by real‐time polymerase chain reaction in a subset of genes. A total of 5894 transcripts were detected in both depots in all 10 subjects, and 409 transcripts representing 347 encoded genes were differentially expressed. Of these, 131 genes were expressed at higher levels in subcutaneous adipose tissue, and 216 were expressed more abundantly in visceral fat. Differentially expressed profiles included genes of the Wnt signaling pathway, as well as CEPBA and HOX genes. In addition, genes involved in lipolytic stimuli and cytokine secretion were differentially expressed. The identification of a consistent and rather uniform pattern of differentially expressed genes between the two fat depots using multiple array replicates (10 arrays per fat compartment) generated new perspectives for future research on regional differences in adipose tissue biology.

Obesity is associated with an increased risk of Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases (CVD). The severely obese population is heterogeneous regarding CVD risk profile. Our objective was to identify metabolic pathways potentially associated with development of metabolic syndrome (MetS) through an analysis of overrepresented pathways from differentially methylated genes between severely obese men with (MetS+) and without (MetS-) the MetS. Genome-wide quantitative DNA methylation analysis in VAT of severely obese men was carried out using the Infinium HumanMethylation450 BeadChip. Differences in methylation levels between MetS+ (n = 7) and MetS- (n = 7) groups were tested. Overrepresented pathways from the list of differentially methylated genes were identified and visualized with the Ingenuity Pathway Analysis system. Differential methylation analysis between MetS+ and MetS- groups identified 8,578 methylation probes (3,258 annotated genes) with significant differences in methylation levels (false discovery rate-corrected DiffScore ≥ |13| ∼ P ≤ 0.05). Pathway analysis from differentially methylated genes identified 41 overrepresented (P ≤ 0.05) pathways. The most overrepresented pathways were related to structural components of the cell membrane, inflammation and immunity and cell cycle regulation. This study provides potential targets associated with adipose tissue dysfunction and development of the MetS.

Background There is solid evidence that obesity induces the acceleration of liver epigenetic aging. However, unlike easily accessible blood or subcutaneous adipose tissue, little is known about the impact of obesity on epigenetic aging of metabolically active visceral adipose tissue (VAT). Herein, we aimed to test whether obesity accelerates VAT epigenetic aging in subjects with severe obesity. Results A significant and positive correlation between chronological age and epigenetic age, estimated with a reduced version of the Horvath’s epigenetic clock, was found in both blood (r = 0.78, p = 9.4 × 10−12) and VAT (r = 0.80, p = 1.1 × 10−12). Epigenetic age acceleration, defined as the residual resulting from regressing epigenetic age on chronological age, was significantly correlated with body mass index (BMI) in VAT (r = 0.29, p = 0.037). Multivariate linear regression analysis showed that, after adjusting for chronological age, sex and metabolic syndrome status, BMI remained significantly associated with epigenetic age acceleration in VAT (beta = 0.15, p = 0.035), equivalent to 2.3 years for each 10 BMI units. Binomial logistic regression showed that BMI-adjusted epigenetic age acceleration in VAT was significantly associated with a higher loss of excess body weight following biliopancreatic diversion with duodenal switch surgery (odds ratio = 1.21; 95% CI = 1.04–1.48; p = 0.03). Conclusions Epigenetic age acceleration increases with BMI in VAT, but not in blood, as previously reported in liver. These results suggest that obesity is associated with epigenetic age acceleration of metabolically active tissues. Further studies that deepen the physiological relevance of VAT epigenetic aging will help to better understand the onset of metabolic syndrome and weight loss dynamics following bariatric surgery.

Occurrence of oxidative stress in white adipose tissues contributes to its dysfunction and the development of obesity-related metabolic complications. Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is the single lipophilic antioxidant synthesized in humans and is essential for electron transport during mitochondrial respiration. To understand the role of CoQ10 in adipose tissue physiology and dysfunction, the abundance of the oxidized and reduced (CoQ10red) isoforms of the CoQ10 were quantified in subcutaneous and omental adipose tissues of women covering the full range of BMI (from 21.5 to 53.2 kg/m2). Lean women displayed regional variations of CoQ10 redox state between the omental and subcutaneous depot, despite similar total content. Obese women had reduced CoQ10red concentrations in the omental depot, leading to increased CoQ10 redox state and higher levels of lipid hydroperoxide. Women with low omental CoQ10 content had greater visceral and subcutaneous adiposity, increased omental adipocyte diameter, and higher circulating interleukin-6 and C-reactive protein levels and were more insulin resistant. The associations between abdominal obesity-related cardiometabolic risk factors and CoQ10 content in the omental depot were abolished after adjustment for omental adipocyte diameter. This study shows that hypertrophic remodeling of visceral fat closely relates to depletion of CoQ10, lipid peroxidation, and inflammation.