Inflammation stimulates hypoxia-inducible factor-1α regulatory activity in 3T3-L1 adipocytes with conditioned medium from lipopolysaccharide-activated RAW 264.7 macrophages.

Obesity is a multifactorial, chronic, inflammatory disease that involves different processes, such as adipose tissue hypoxia. The aim of the current study was to characterize the effects of conditioned medium (CM) from lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-activated macrophages on the regulation of hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α)-related genes in murine adipocytes. For the in vitro analyses, 3T3-L1 murine adipocytes (9 days postdifferentiation) were incubated either in CM (25% medium of RAW 264.7 murine macrophages with 24 hr 500 ng/ml LPS), LPS at 500 ng/ml, or hypoxia (Hx; 1% O , 94% N , 5% CO ) for 24 hr. For the in vivo experiments, mice were fed a high-fat diet. Both epididymal white adipose tissue (eWAT) and adipocytes in CM showed upregulation of Glut1, Mcp1, Il10, Tnf, and Il1b. The secretion of IL-6, TNF-α, and MCP-1 was also increased in CM-treated adipocytes. Moreover, increased levels of HIF-1α subunit and nuclear factor kappa B p65 were found after CM treatment, linking Hx, and inflammation. HIF-1α directly bound vascular endothelial growth factor A (Vegfa) and uncoupling protein 2 (Ucp2) genes, up- and downregulating its expression, respectively. Furthermore, the oxygen consumption rate was 30% lower in CM. The siRNA knockdown of mammalian target of rapamycin (Mtor) reversed the induction of HIF-1α found in CM. The macrophage infiltration simulated through CM seems to be a similar environment to an abnormally enlarged eWAT. We have evidenced that HIF-1α plays a regulatory role in the expression of Vegfa and Ucp2 in CM. Finally, the inhibition of the mTOR pathway prevented the HIF-1α activation induced by CM. The involvement of HIF-1α under proinflammatory conditions provides insight into the origins of Hx in obesity.