Intestinal regulatory T cell induction by β-elemene alleviates the formation of fat tissue-related inflammation

• Main Authors: Yingyu Zhou, Tomohiro Takano, Yimei Wang, Xuyang Li, Rong Wang, Yoshio Wakatsuki, Haruyo Nakajima-Adachi, Masaru Tanokura, Takuya Miyakawa, Satoshi Hachimura
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier 2021-01-01
• Series: iScience
• Subjects: Human Metabolism; Immunology
• Online Access: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2589004220310804

Summary: The role of the intestinal immune system in the inhibition of fat tissue-related inflammation by dietary material is yet to be elucidated. Oral administration of β-elemene, contained in various foodstuffs, downregulated expressions of inflammatory cytokines and increased Foxp3+CD4+ T cells in adipose tissue of obese mice. However, β-elemene did not affect the inflammatory response of adipose tissue in vitro, suggesting that the inhibition observed in vivo was not due to direct interactions of adipose tissue with β-elemene. Instead, β-elemene increased Foxp3+CD4+ T cell population enhancing gene expressions of transforming growth factor β 1, retinaldehyde dehydrogenase 2, integrin αvβ8, and interleukin-10 in intestinal dendritic cells (DCs) in vivo and in vitro. Taken together, this study suggested the therapeutic effects of β-elemene on treating experimental obesity-induced chronic inflammation by adjusting the balance of immune cell populations in fat tissue through the generation of regulatory T cells in the intestinal immune system by modulating DC function.