Age-associated development of inflammation in Wistar rats: Effects of caloric restriction

Abstract

Context: Insulin resistance and type 2 Diabetes have been associated to a low grade of inflammation and their prevalence increase with ageing.

Objective: To analyse the development of inflammation in adipose tissue, liver, muscle and hypothalamus during ageing and the effects of caloric restriction.

Materials and methods: We have analysed the expression of inflammatory cytokines (TNFα, IL1-β, IL-12B and IL-6), proteins involved in macrophage recruitment (MCP-1, CCR2), TLR4 and macrophage markers (CD11c, CD11b and arginase1). Immunohistochemistry of macrophages has also been performed.

Results: All studied tissues present signs of inflammation during ageing, but with different pattern and intensity. Caloric restriction decreases the expression of most of inflammatory markers.

Discussion and conclusions: These data indicate a role of adiposity in the development of inflammation and insulin resistance during ageing. Dietetic intervention could be a useful tool to ameliorate the development of inflammation and insulin resistance associated with ageing.

Keywords::

• Ageing
• insulin resistance
• oxidative stress
• reticulum stress
• infiltration
• citokynes

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by grants BFU2005.07647-C03-02 (Ministerio de Ciencia y Tecnología, Spain), FISCAM-PI-2007/60 (Junta de Comunidades de Castilla-La Mancha, Spain) and URJC-CM-2008-CSH-3484 (Universidad Rey Juan Carlos-Comunidad de Madrid, Spain). We would like to thank to A. de Solis, P. Perez Pardo and E. Oliveros for their help measuring FFA and serum cytokines. The Centro de Biología Molecular is the recipient of institutional aid from the Ramón Areces Foundation.

Declaration of interest

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of this article.