Social isolation exacerbates diet-induced obesity and peripheral inflammation in young male mice under thermoneutrality
Nicholas J. Queen,
Wei Huang,
Suraj Komatineni,
Anthony G. Mansour,
Run Xiao,
Logan A. Chrislip,
Lei Cao
Affiliations
Nicholas J. Queen
Department of Cancer Biology & Genetics, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA; The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
Wei Huang
Department of Cancer Biology & Genetics, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA; The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
Suraj Komatineni
Department of Cancer Biology & Genetics, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA; The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
Anthony G. Mansour
Department of Cancer Biology & Genetics, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA; The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, OH 43210, USA; Department of Hematological Malignancies and Stem Cell Transplantation, City of Hope, National Medical Center and the Beckman Research Institute, Los Angeles, CA 91010, USA
Run Xiao
Department of Cancer Biology & Genetics, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA; The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
Logan A. Chrislip
Department of Cancer Biology & Genetics, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA; The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
Lei Cao
Department of Cancer Biology & Genetics, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA; The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, OH 43210, USA; Corresponding author
Summary: Social isolation (SI) is associated with an increased risk of mortality and various chronic diseases—including obesity—in humans. Murine studies probing SI metabolic outcomes remain inconsistent, due in part to a lack of consideration for housing temperature. Such experiments typically occur at room temperature, subjecting mice to chronic cold stress. Single housing prevents social thermoregulation, further exacerbating cold stress and obscuring psychosocial influences on metabolism at room temperature. In this study, C57BL/6 and BALB/c male mice were group- and single-housed under thermoneutral conditions to determine whether SI affects the development of high-fat diet-induced obesity. We report SI promotes weight gain, increases food intake, increases adiposity, worsens glycemic control, reduces insulin signaling, exacerbates systemic and adipose inflammatory responses, and induces a molecular signature within the hypothalamus. This study establishes a murine model that recapitulates the SI-induced propensity for obesity, which may further our understanding of SI’s influence on health and disease.
