Evaluation of the role of resident microglia cells in the regulation of thermogenesis during hypothalamic inflammation induced by a high-fat diet

• Grant number: 24/21618-7
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Start date: December 01, 2024
• End date: May 31, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Physiology - General Physiology
• Principal Investigator: Licio Augusto Velloso
• Grantee: Larissa Silva Bergantini
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Médicas (FCM). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 13/07607-8 - OCRC - Obesity and Comorbidities Research Center, AP.CEPID

Abstract

The hypothalamus controls caloric intake and energy expenditure. The excessive consumption of saturated fatty acids can disrupt energy homeostasis by inciting an inflammatory response that preferentially affects this region. Initially, this response is mediated by resident microglia, however, as high-fat diet (HFD) intake persists, bone marrow-derived myeloid cells infiltrate the hypothalamic parenchyma. A relevant and little-explored aspect of hypothalamic microglia activation in diet-induced obesity concerns the participation and functions performed by microglial cells and recruited myeloid cells. In this line, a recent study from our group compared the transcriptional signatures of these two cell types and found differences in the modulation of transcripts involved in several metabolic pathways, including the one related to the regulation of thermogenesis. Considering that advances in the understanding of the regulatory mechanisms of thermogenesis may contribute to the identification of therapeutic targets for obesity and its comorbidities, in this project, we will evaluate through which mechanisms the hypothalamic microglia participate in the regulation of thermogenesis in the context of HFD-induced inflammation.