Interleukin-33 promotes lipolysis of adipocytes and protects male mice against obesity via activation of β-adrenergic receptor signaling

Background: Targeting intracellular lipolysis represents a therapeutic potential for treating metabolic disorders such as obesity. Interleukin (IL)-33 has been shown to exert anti-obesity effects by reducing inflammation and restricting adipocyte hypertrophy.

Methods: In this study, male mice on a high-fat diet (HFD) were treated with IL-33 once every 2 days for 2 weeks. 3T3-L1 cells were treated with IL-33 to verify the down-stream effect of β1-AR activation on the adipose cells.

Results: IL-33 treatment led to a reduction in adipose tissue mass and a decreased in lipid deposition in male mice with obesity, accompanied by activation of β-adrenergic receptor (β-AR) signals. Immunostaining for Tyrosine Hydroxylase (TH) revealed an increase of TH within the adipose tissue in male mice. Metabolomic analysis showed that IL-33 induced a distinct metabolic profile in differentiated adipocytes, with significant changes in metabolites related to lipolysis pathways. Supplementation with β1-AR inhibitor significantly inhibited IL-33-induced p-HSL and p-PKA activation. Compared to IL-33 alone, β1-AR inhibitor reduced glycerol release and increased accumulation of lipid droplets. We also illustrated the fatty acids (FAs) process by tracking FA trafficking, and found that the labeled FA localized lipid droplets (LDs) in mature adipocytes but shifted from LDs to mitochondria at 20 ng/mL IL-33.

Conclusion: We summarized that IL-33 regulated mature adipocyte metabolism and enhanced lipolysis in male mice via activation of the β-AR/cAMP/PKA/HSL signaling pathway. However, given that sex is a significant determinant in obesity, future studies should investigate potential sex-specific effects of IL-33 in metabolic regulation.