Melatonin induces white-to-beige adipocyte transdifferentiation through melatonin receptor 1-mediated direct browning and indirect M2 polarization.

Previous studies have shown that melatonin induces adipocyte browning in vivo. However, the underlying mechanisms of melatonin action at the cellular level remain elusive. In this study, we investigated the mechanisms underlying melatonin-induced browning in 3T3-L1 adipocytes and RAW 264.7 macrophages. Melatonin caused the transdifferentiation of fully differentiated white adipocytes into beige adipocytes, which involves the activation of melatonin receptor 1, followed by increased phosphorylation of p38 MAPK and Akt. Both luzindole (LZ), a non-selective melatonin receptor antagonist, and selective melatonin receptor 1 knockdown attenuated the browning effects of melatonin. Melatonin also induced M2 polarization in RAW 264.7, involving the melatonin receptor 1-Src-STAT3/STAT6 phosphorylation signaling cascade. Melatonin-treated M2-conditioned medium (CM) contained increased levels of catecholamine (CA) and induced beige adipocytes when treated with differentiated 3T3-L1 white adipocytes. In vivo oral administration of melatonin to high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obese (DIO) mice reduced body weight, accompanied by increased expression of uncoupling protein-1 (UCP1) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1-alpha (PGC-1α) in subcutaneous adipose tissues. Moreover, arginase-1 (Arg1) and mannose receptor C type-1 (MRC1) levels were markedly higher in the melatonin-treated groups, suggesting that melatonin induces adipose browning and M2 polarization in vivo. Collectively, melatonin-induced adipocyte browning appeared to be reflected by the sum of melatonin receptor 1-activated direct browning effects and indirect M2 polarization-mediated effects.