Obesity accelerates T cell senescence in murine visceral adipose tissue

J Clin Invest. 2016 Dec 1;126(12):4626-4639. doi: 10.1172/JCI88606. Epub 2016 Nov 7.

Abstract

Chronic inflammation in visceral adipose tissue (VAT) precipitates the development of cardiometabolic disorders. Although changes in T cell function associated with visceral obesity are thought to affect chronic VAT inflammation, the specific features of these changes remain elusive. Here, we have determined that a high-fat diet (HFD) caused a preferential increase and accumulation of CD44hiCD62LloCD4+ T cells that constitutively express PD-1 and CD153 in a B cell-dependent manner in VAT. These cells possessed characteristics of cellular senescence and showed a strong activation of Spp1 (encoding osteopontin [OPN]) in VAT. Upon T cell receptor stimulation, these T cells also produced large amounts of OPN in a PD-1-resistant manner in vitro. The features of CD153+PD-1+CD44hiCD4+ T cells were highly reminiscent of senescence-associated CD4+ T cells that normally increase with age. Adoptive transfer of CD153+PD-1+CD44hiCD4+ T cells from HFD-fed WT, but not Spp1-deficient, mice into the VAT of lean mice fed a normal diet recapitulated the essential features of VAT inflammation and insulin resistance. Our results demonstrate that a distinct CD153+PD-1+CD44hiCD4+ T cell population that accumulates in the VAT of HFD-fed obese mice causes VAT inflammation by producing large amounts of OPN. This finding suggests a link between visceral adiposity and immune aging.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antigens, CD / genetics
  • Antigens, CD / immunology
  • B-Lymphocytes / immunology
  • B-Lymphocytes / pathology
  • CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / immunology*
  • CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / pathology
  • Cellular Senescence / drug effects
  • Cellular Senescence / genetics
  • Cellular Senescence / immunology*
  • Dietary Fats / adverse effects
  • Dietary Fats / pharmacology
  • Inflammation / chemically induced
  • Inflammation / genetics
  • Inflammation / immunology
  • Inflammation / pathology
  • Intra-Abdominal Fat / immunology*
  • Intra-Abdominal Fat / pathology
  • Mice
  • Mice, Knockout
  • Obesity / chemically induced
  • Obesity / genetics
  • Obesity / immunology*
  • Obesity / pathology
  • Osteopontin / genetics
  • Osteopontin / immunology*
  • Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / genetics
  • Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / immunology

Substances

  • Antigens, CD
  • Dietary Fats
  • Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell
  • Spp1 protein, mouse
  • Osteopontin