Background-Obesity is associated with chronic inflammation, which includes increased macrophage accumulation in adipose tissue (AT) and upregulation of chemokines and cytokines. T cells also play important roles in chronic inflammatory diseases such as atherosclerosis but have not been well studied in obesity. Methods and Results-Flow cytometric analysis showed higher numbers of T cells and macrophages in AT of diet-induced obese insulin-resistant male mice than in lean mice and obese females (PϽ0.05). RNase protection assay, ELISA, and flow cytometry indicated gender-dependent upregulation of mRNA and protein levels of regulated on activation, normal T cell expressed and secreted (RANTES) and its receptor CCR5 in AT of obese mice. Adipocytes, stromal/vascular cells from mouse AT, and human and murine adipocytes expressed RANTES. RANTES mRNA levels were negatively correlated with adiponectin in mouse AT. Adiponectin-deficient mice fed high-fat diet showed higher RANTES mRNA levels in AT than wild-type mice. Activated T cells coincubated with preadipocytes in vitro significantly suppressed preadipocyte-to-adipocyte differentiation. Obese humans with metabolic syndrome had higher mRNA levels of RANTES and CCR5 in subcutaneous AT than lean humans. RANTES and CCR5 mRNA levels were significantly higher in visceral than subcutaneous AT of morbidly obese humans. RANTES mRNA levels were positively correlated with CD3 and CD11b in human visceral AT. Conclusions-Obesity is associated with increased accumulation of T cells and macrophages in AT, which may play important roles in obesity-related disease by influencing preadipocyte/adipocyte functions. RANTES is an adipokine that is upregulated in AT by obesity in both mice and humans.

Reactive oxygen intermediates (ROIs) play an important role in inflammatory processes as mediators of injury and potentially in signal transduction leading to gene expression. Cyclooxygenase (COX) is a rate-limiting enzyme in prostanoid biosynthesis, and its recently cloned inducible form, COX-2, is induced by proinflammatory cytokines. This study linked ROIs to the signaling pathways that induce COX-2 expression. The hydroxyl radical scavengers DMSO (1% ), as well as di-and tetramethylthiourea, inhibited IL-1-, TNFa-, and LPS-induced COX-2 expression in rat mesangial cells. The suppression of COX-2 mRNA expression correlated with the COX-2 protein level. In comparison with the prolonged induction of the inducible gene encoding protein-tyrosine phosphatase by hydrogen peroxide, the COX-2 gene was only transiently induced. Protein-tyrosine phosphatase is also induced by heat shock and chemical stress, whereas COX-2 is not. Superoxide was a more potent inducer for COX-2 than hydrogen peroxide. In addition, NADPH stimulated COX-2 expression, and an inhibitor of NADPH oxidase blocked COX-2 expression induced by TNFa. COX-2 and KC gene expression costimulated by IL-1 were inhibited differentially by the scavengers. These studies demonstrate that oxidant stress is a specific and important inducer of COX-2 gene expression. This induction may contribute to the deleterious amplification of prostanoids in inflammation and compound the direct effects of ROI production. (J. CUi Invest. 1995. 95:1669-1675.) Key words: reactive oxygen intermediates * NADPH * mesangial cell -

Animal studies suggest that increased levels of circulating angiotensin II (AngII) could contribute to the loss of lean body mass in chronic kidney disease, but the mechanism by which this occurs is unclear. Here, AngII infusion increased circulating IL-6 and its hepatic production in wild-type mice, suggesting that AngII-induced inflammation may trigger muscle loss. AngII infusion also stimulated the suppressor of cytokine signaling (SOCS3) in muscle, which led to loss of insulin receptor substrate 1 (IRS-1), thereby impairing insulin/IGF-1 signaling and enhancing protein degradation. All of these responses to AngII were suppressed in IL-6 -deficient mice. Recombinant human IL-6 (rhIL-6) treatment of cultured myotubes only minimally increased SOCS3, however, suggesting the contribution of other mediators. Because AngII increases hepatic serum amyloid A (SAA) expression in an IL-6 -dependent manner, we treated wild-type mice with rhIL-6 and an SAA1-overexpressing adenovirus; the combination led to a significantly greater increase in SOCS3 and decrease in IRS-1 compared with either rhIL-6 or SAA1 alone. We observed similar effects on SOCS3 and IRS-1 when we treated cultured muscle myotubes with rhIL-6 and SAA1. Taken together, these results suggest an interorgan response to high levels of AngII: Hepatic production of IL-6 and SAA increases, and these mediators act synergistically to impair insulin/IGF-1 signaling, which promotes muscle proteolysis. Targeting the high levels of IL-6 and SAA in catabolic disorders might be a therapeutic approach to prevent muscle wasting.