Stearidonic and Eicosapentaenoic Acids Inhibit Interleukin-6 Expression in ob/ob Mouse Adipose Stem Cells via Toll-Like Receptor-2-Mediated Pathways

Increased adipose tissue positively correlates with circulating inflammatory cytokines such as IL-6. We previously reported that adipose stem cells from genetically obese ob/ob mice produce significantly higher levels of IL-6 compared with other cell types such as adipocytes and macrophages within adipose tissue. We also demonstrated that (n-3) PUFA have antiinflammatory effects on adipocyte IL-6 secretion. Based on these findings, we hypothesized that EPA [20:5 (n-3)] and stearidonic acid [SDA, 18:4 (n-3)] would decrease LPS (200 mu g/L)-induced IL-6 secretion and IL-6 mRNA content in the adipose stem cells. SDA (100 mu mol/L) and EPA (100 mu mol/L) significantly reduced LPS-induced IL-6 secretion and decreased IL-6 mRNA expression. To determine the underlying intracellular mechanisms, we tested whether LPS-induced Toll-like-receptor (TLR) 4 and TLR2 expression were modulated by these fatty acids using Western-blot analysis. EPA and SDA suppressed LPS-induced TLR2 but not TLR4 protein expression in the adipose stem cells. Furthermore, SDA and EPA significantly lowered the activation and translocation of NF-kappa B, a TL82 downstream signaling target, while protein expression of extracellular signal-regulated kinases-1/2 were unaffected. Collectively, our results suggest that EPA and SDA inhibit LPS-induced IL-6 secretion and IL-6 mRNA expression in the adipose stem cells by decreasing TAL2-mediated signaling pathways. J. Nutr. 141: 1260-1266, 2011.