Astaxanthin, a Marine Carotenoid, Maintains the Tolerance and Integrity of Adipose Tissue and Contributes to Its Healthy Functions

• Published in: Nutrients Vol. 13; no. 12; p. 4374
• Main Authors: Nawaz, Allah, Nishida, Yasuhiro, Takikawa, Akiko, Fujisaka, Shiho, Kado, Tomonobu, Aminuddin, Aminuddin, Bilal, Muhammad, Jeelani, Ishtiaq, Aslam, Muhammad Rahil, Nishimura, Ayumi, Kuwano, Takahide, Watanabe, Yoshiyuki, Igarashi, Yoshiko, Okabe, Keisuke, Ahmed, Saeed, Manzoor, Azhar, Usui, Isao, Yagi, Kunimasa, Nakagawa, Takashi, Tobe, Kazuyuki
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 06.12.2021; MDPI
• Subjects: Adipocytes; Adipose tissue; Adipose Tissue - metabolism; Adipose Tissue - pathology; Adipose Tissue - physiology; adipose tissue macrophages; adipose tissue remodeling; Animals; Anti-Inflammatory Agents; Antioxidants; Astaxanthin; Body composition; Body fat; Cardiovascular diseases; Carotenoids; Cytokines; Cytokines - metabolism; Diabetes; Diabetes mellitus; Diabetes mellitus (non-insulin dependent); Diet; Dietary Supplements; Fatty acids; Flow cytometry; Glucose; Glucose - metabolism; Glucose tolerance; High fat diet; Hypoxia; Inflammation; Inflammation Mediators - metabolism; Insulin; Insulin Resistance; Intolerance; Kinases; Lipophilic; Liver; Macrophages; Macrophages - pathology; Male; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Mitochondria; Mitochondria - drug effects; Mitochondria - physiology; Musculoskeletal system; natural antioxidant; Obesity; Oxidative stress; Oxidative Stress - drug effects; Parameter sensitivity; Reagents; Social conditions; Software; Stem cell transplantation; Stem cells; Stress analysis; Weight control; Xanthophylls - administration & dosage; Xanthophylls - pharmacology; United States > US; Japan; insulin resistance; Astaxanthin; obesity; adipose tissue macrophages; adipose tissue remodeling; natural antioxidant
• ISSN: 2072-6643; 2072-6643
• DOI: 10.3390/nu13124374

Recently, obesity-induced insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease have become major social problems. We have previously shown that Astaxanthin (AX), which is a natural antioxidant, significantly ameliorates obesity-induced glucose intolerance and insulin resistance. It is well known that AX is a strong lipophilic antioxidant and has been shown to be beneficial for acute inflammation. However, the actual effects of AX on chronic inflammation in adipose tissue (AT) remain unclear. To observe the effects of AX on AT functions in obese mice, we fed six-week-old male C57BL/6J on high-fat-diet (HFD) supplemented with or without 0.02% of AX for 24 weeks. We determined the effect of AX at 10 and 24 weeks of HFD with or without AX on various parameters including insulin sensitivity, glucose tolerance, inflammation, and mitochondrial function in AT. We found that AX significantly reduced oxidative stress and macrophage infiltration into AT, as well as maintaining healthy AT function. Furthermore, AX prevented pathological AT remodeling probably caused by hypoxia in AT. Collectively, AX treatment exerted anti-inflammatory effects via its antioxidant activity in AT, maintained the vascular structure of AT and preserved the stem cells and progenitor's niche, and enhanced anti-inflammatory hypoxia induction factor-2α-dominant hypoxic response. Through these mechanisms of action, it prevented the pathological remodeling of AT and maintained its integrity.