Abstract
BACKGROUND: Metabolic diseases such as obesity and type 2 diabetes are on the rise and have become a significant global public health issue. Mitochondrial function and biogenesis in visceral adipose tissue are key factors influencing the development of obesity and related metabolic disorders. In addition, chronic inflammation involving immune cells can lead to obesity-related metabolic disorders. Given these underlying mechanisms, we aimed to test whether the treatment of frozen-thawed isolated mitochondrial preparations (MRC-Q) from cultured cells had a protective effect on adipose tissue inflammation and remodeling in a high-fat diet-induced mouse model. METHODS AND RESULTS: MRC-Q was given intraperitoneally every 2 weeks to the mice in the diet-induced obesity (DIO) model. The results demonstrated that MRC-Q reduced the amount of adipose tissue and the body weight of the DIO mice, reduced blood glucose, and improved glucose tolerance. This process was accompanied by M2 macrophage polarization and suppression of pro-inflammatory responses in the visceral fat of mice. In addition, in vitro experiments indicated that MRC-Q could directly transform macrophages to the M2 phenotype. CONCLUSIONS: A novel mitochondrial preparation, MRC-Q, protected against adipose tissue remodeling in DIO mice by promoting M2 macrophage polarization, and inhibiting pro-inflammatory responses in visceral fat.