Effect of lipopolysaccharides on adipogenic potential and premature senescence of adipocyte progenitors

The elevation of circulating LPS has been associated with obesity and aging. However, whether and how LPS contributes to adipose tissue dysfunction is unclear. In this study, we investigated the effect of LPS on the adipogenic capacity and cellular senescence of adipocyte progenitors. Stromal-vascular cells were isolated from inguinal adipose tissue of C57BL/6 mice and treated with LPS during the different time periods of adipocyte differentiation. We found that LPS treatment for 24 h prior to the induction of differentiation led to the most profound effect on the inhibition of adipogenesis, as evidenced by the morphological changes and the decreased mRNA expression of adipocyte marker genes. In addition, LPS induced features of premature senescence of SV cells, including the activation of p53, the elevation of SA-β-gal activity, and increased hydrogen peroxide production, but not telomere length. Upon LPS treatment, SV cells also developed senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP), as demonstrated by the increased expression of TNFα, IL-1β, IL-6, MCP-1, and VEGFα. Blocking LPS-induced NF-ĸB activation and cytokine production by Bay 11-7082 failed to rescue the impaired adipogenesis and the reduction in PPARγ and Zfp423 expression. On the contrary, rosiglitazone had little effect on cytokine production but corrected the defective adipogenic potential. In conclusion, we demonstrate that LPS inhibits adipogenesis by disrupting the differentiation of adipocyte progenitors in a NF-ĸB-independent manner; LPS also induces premature senescence of adipocyte progenitors. Our data suggest that LPS could be a potential contributor to the defective adipogenesis and the development of cellular senescence in adipose tissue during obesity and aging.