Dendritic Cells Promote Macrophage Infiltration and Comprise a Substantial Proportion of Obesity-Associated Increases in CD11c+ Cells in Adipose Tissue and Liver

Obesity-associated increases in adipose tissue (AT) CD11c+ cells suggest that dendritic cells (DC), which are involved in the tissue recruitment and activation of macrophages, may play a role in determining AT and liver immunophenotype in obesity. This study addressed this hypothesis. With the use of flow cytometry, electron microscopy, and loss-and-gain of function approaches, the contribution of DC to the pattern of immune cell alterations and recruitment in obesity was assessed. In AT and liver there was a substantial, high-fat diet (HFD)–induced increase in DC. In AT, these increases were associated with crown-like structures, whereas in liver the increase in DC constituted an early and re-versible response to diet. Notably, mice lacking DC had reduced AT and liver macrophages, whereas DC replacement in DC-null mice increased liver and AT macrophage populations. Further-more, delivery of bone marrow–derived DC to lean wild-typ