Intrinsic Properties of Brown and White Adipocytes Have Differential Effects on Macrophage Inflammatory Responses

Figure 3

Differential effects of brown and white adipocytes on transcriptional activity. PMA-differentiated macrophages were rested (left untreated) or stimulated with LPS/IFNγ or IL-4 for 24 hours. Cells were then washed and cultured with or without adipocytes for an additional 24 hours (see Section 2 for differentiation and stimulation protocol). qRT-PCR analysis was used to measure expression of a panel of transcripts, which were selected for their role in macrophage inflammatory responses (see Section 4 for details). Gene expression of macrophages in adipocyte coculture was normalized to macrophages in monoculture, and the above heat maps illustrate that indirect coculture of U937 and THP-1 macrophages with white adipocytes induces a general increase in transcript expression in U937 (a) and THP-1 macrophages (b). In contrast, coculture with brown adipocytes induces a general reduction in transcript expression. Data represent biological replicates of for macrophage monocultures, for macrophages cocultured with white adipocytes of the same clone, and for macrophages cocultured with brown adipocytes of the same clone.

(a)

(b)