NK cell-activating receptor NKp46 does not participate in the development of obesity-induced inflammation and insulin resistance

Abstract

Recent evidence establishes a pivotal role for obesity-induced inflammation in precipitating insulin resistance and type-2 diabetes. Central to this process is the proinflammatory M1 adipose-tissue macrophages (ATMs) in epididymal white adipose tissue (eWAT). Notably, natural killer (NK) cells are a crucial regulator of ATMs since their cytokines induce ATM recruitment and M1 polarization. The importance of NK cells is shown by the strong increase in NK-cell numbers in eWAT, and by studies showing that removing and expanding NK cells respectively improve and worsen obesity-induced insulin resistance. It has been suggested that NK cells are activated by unknown ligands on obesity-stressed adipocytes that bind to NKp46 (encoded by Ncr1), which is an activating NK-cell receptor. This was supported by a study showing that NKp46-knockout mice have improved obesity-induced inflammation/insulin resistance. We therefore planned to use the NKp46-knockout mice to further elucidate the molecular mechanism by which NKp46 mediates eWAT NK-cell activation in obesity. We confirmed that obesity increased eWAT NKp46⁺ NK-cell numbers and NKp46 expression in wild-type mice and that NKp46-knockout ablated these responses. Unexpectedly, however, NKp46-knockout mice demonstrated insulin resistance similar to wild-type mice, as shown by fasting blood glucose/insulin levels and glucose/insulin tolerance tests. Obesity-induced increases in eWAT ATM numbers and proinflammatory gene expression were also similar. Thus, contrary to previously published results, NKp46 does not regulate obesity-induced insulin resistance. It is therefore unclear whether NKp46 participates in the development of obesity-induced inflammation and insulin resistance. This should be considered when elucidating the obesity-mediated molecular mechanisms that activate NK cells.