Acetylcholine-synthesizing macrophages in subcutaneous fat are regulated by β2 -adrenergic signaling

Abstract

Non-neuronal cholinergic signaling, mediated by acetylcholine, plays important roles in physiological processes including inflammation and immunity. Our group first discovered evidence of non-neuronal cholinergic circuitry in adipose tissue, whereby immune cells secrete acetylcholine to activate beige adipocytes during adaptive thermogenesis. Here, we reveal that macrophages are the cellular protagonists responsible for secreting acetylcholine to regulate thermogenic activation in subcutaneous fat, and we term these cells cholinergic adipose macrophages (ChAMs). An adaptive increase in ChAM abundance is evident following acute cold exposure, and macrophage-specific deletion of choline acetyltransferase (ChAT), the enzyme for acetylcholine biosynthesis, impairs the cold-induced thermogenic capacity of mice. Further, using pharmacological and genetic approaches, we show that ChAMs are regulated via adrenergic signaling, specifically through the β₂ adrenergic receptor. These findings demonstrate that macrophages are an essential adipose tissue source of acetylcholine for the regulation of adaptive thermogenesis, and may be useful for therapeutic targeting in metabolic diseases.

Keywords: acetylcholine; adipose tissue; macrophages; thermogenesis.