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Association between Interleukin-15 and Obesity: Interleukin-15 as a Potential Regulator of Fat Mass

Department of Infectious Diseases Rigshospitalet (A.R.N., P.H., C.E., C.P.F., P.P., R.M., O.H.M., C.B., S.T., R.K.-M., B.L., A.M.W.P., B.K.P.), Centre of Inflammation and Metabolism and Copenhagen Muscle Research Centre (A.R.N., C.E., C.P.F., P.P., R.M., O.H.M., C.B., S.T., R.K.-M., B.L., A.M.W.P., B.K.P.), University of Copenhagen, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark; and Department of Oncology (P.H., J.G.), Copenhagen University Hospital Herlev, DK-2730 Herlev, Denmark

Address all correspondence and requests for reprints to: Anders Rinnov Nielsen, Centre of Inflammation and Metabolism, Rigshospitalet, Section 7641, Blegdamsvej 9, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark. E-mail: rinnov{at}gmail.com (http://www.inflammation-metabolism.dk).

Objective: IL-15 decreases lipid deposition in preadipocytes and decreases the mass of white adipose tissue in rats, indicating that IL-15 may take part in regulating this tissue. IL-15 is expressed in human skeletal muscle and skeletal muscle may be a source of plasma IL-15 and in this way regulate adipose tissue mass.

Design: The relation between skeletal muscle IL-15 mRNA expression, plasma IL-15, and adipose tissue mass was studied in 199 humans divided into four groups on the basis of obesity and type 2 diabetes. Furthermore, using a DNA electrotransfer model, we assessed the effect of IL-15 overexpression in skeletal muscle of mice.

Results: In humans, multiple regression analysis showed a negative association between plasma IL-15 and total fat mass (P < 0.05), trunk fat mass (P < 0.01), and percent fat mass (P < 0.05), independent of type 2 diabetes. Negative associations were also found between muscle IL-15 mRNA and obesity parameters. IL-15 overexpression in skeletal muscle of mice reduced trunk fat mass but not sc fat mass.

Conclusions: Our results indicate that IL-15 may be a regulator of trunk fat mass.

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				B. K. Pedersen Edward F. Adolph Distinguished Lecture: Muscle as an endocrine organ: IL-6 and other myokines J Appl Physiol, October 1, 2009; 107(4): 1006 - 1014. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]