Adipocyte-derived lactate is a signalling metabolite that potentiates adipose macrophage inflammation via targeting PHD2.

Adipose tissue macrophage (ATM) inflammation is involved with meta-inflammation and pathology of metabolic complications. Here we report that in adipocytes, elevated lactate production, previously regarded as the waste product of glycolysis, serves as a danger signal to promote ATM polarization to an inflammatory state in the context of obesity. Adipocyte-selective deletion of lactate dehydrogenase A (Ldha), the enzyme converting pyruvate to lactate, protects mice from obesity-associated glucose intolerance and insulin resistance, accompanied by a lower percentage of inflammatory ATM and reduced production of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin 1β (IL-1β). Mechanistically, lactate, at its physiological concentration, fosters the activation of inflammatory macrophages by directly binding to the catalytic domain of prolyl hydroxylase domain-containing 2 (PHD2) in a competitive manner with α-ketoglutarate and stabilizes hypoxia inducible factor (HIF-1α). Lactate-induced IL-1β was abolished in PHD2-deficient macrophages. Human adipose lactate level is positively linked with local inflammatory features and insulin resistance index independent of the body mass index (BMI). Our study shows a critical function of adipocyte-derived lactate in promoting the pro-inflammatory microenvironment in adipose and identifies PHD2 as a direct sensor of lactate, which functions to connect chronic inflammation and energy metabolism.