Interleukin-6-deficient mice develop mature-onset obesity

V Wallenius, K Wallenius, B Ahrén, M Rudling… - Nature medicine, 2002 - nature.com
V Wallenius, K Wallenius, B Ahrén, M Rudling, H Carlsten, SL Dickson, C Ohlsson
Nature medicine, 2002nature.com
The immune-modulating cytokine interleukin-6 (IL-6) is expressed both in adipose tissue
and centrally in hypothalamic nuclei that regulate body composition. We investigated the
impact of loss of IL-6 on body composition in mice lacking the gene encoding IL-6 (Il6−/−
mice) and found that they developed mature-onset obesity that was partly reversed by IL-6
replacement. The obese Il6−/− mice had disturbed carbohydrate and lipid metabolism,
increased leptin levels and decreased responsiveness to leptin treatment. To investigate the …
Abstract
The immune-modulating cytokine interleukin-6 (IL-6) is expressed both in adipose tissue and centrally in hypothalamic nuclei that regulate body composition. We investigated the impact of loss of IL-6 on body composition in mice lacking the gene encoding IL-6 (Il6−/− mice) and found that they developed mature-onset obesity that was partly reversed by IL-6 replacement. The obese Il6−/− mice had disturbed carbohydrate and lipid metabolism, increased leptin levels and decreased responsiveness to leptin treatment. To investigate the possible mechanism and site of action of the anti-obesity effect of IL-6, we injected rats centrally and peripherally with IL-6 at low doses. Intracerebroventricular, but not intraperitoneal IL-6 treatment increased energy expenditure. In conclusion, centrally acting IL-6 exerts anti-obesity effects in rodents.
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