Adipose-derived stromal cells reverse insulin resistance through inhibition of M1 expression in a type 2 diabetes mellitus mouse model

Abstract Background Adipose tissue inflammation is considered as one of the major mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of insulin resistance and complications in diabetes. Here, we aimed to study the effects of adipose-derived stromal cells on diabetes-induced insulin resistance and M1 cytokine expression. Methods Stromal vascular fractions (SVFs) purified from the inguinal adipose tissue of diabetic mice were treated with plasma from either nondiabetic (Lepr +/+) or diabetic (Lepr db/db ) mice and injected into the inguinal white adipose tissue of Lepr db/db mice. Results We found that diabetic plasma treatment induced, whereas nondiabetic plasma suppressed TNF-α, IL-1β, and dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP4) mRNA expression in SVFs in vitro. Importantly, the injection of nondiabetic plasma-treated SVFs significantly decreased TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1β, CCL2, and IL-33 and induced IL-10 mRNA expression in adipose tissue of Lepr db/db mice in vivo. Furthermore, we observed that nondiabetic plasma-treated SVFs increased mRNA expression of Foxp3 in adipose tissue macrophages and Foxp3 in adipose CD4+ T cells, decreased CD11b+CD11c+ cells in adipose tissue, and suppressed mRNA expression of ICAM-1, FCM3, IL-6, IL-1β, iNOS, TNF-α, and DPP4 as well as protein expression of DPP4 and phosphorylated JNK and NF-κB in the liver of Lepr db/db mice. Moreover, we found that nondiabetic plasma-treated SVFs increased Akt activation following insulin administration and attenuated glucose intolerance in Lepr db/db mice. Conclusions Our results demonstrate that nondiabetic plasma inhibits M1 but increases M2 cytokine expression in adipose tissue of diabetic mice. Most importantly, our findings reveal that nondiabetic plasma-treated SVFs are capable of mitigating diabetes-induced plasma DPP4 activity, liver inflammation, and insulin resistance and that may be mediated through suppressing M1 cytokines but increasing IL-10 and Tregs in adipose tissue. Altogether, our findings suggest that adipose stromal cell-based therapy could potentially be developed as an efficient therapeutic strategy for the treatment of diabetes.