Hypoxia is a potential risk factor for chronic inflammation and adiponectin reduction in adipose tissue of ob / ob and dietary obese mice

Chronic inflammation and reduced adiponectin are widely observed in the white adipose tissue in obesity. However, the cause of the changes remains to be identified. In this study, we provide experimental evidence that hypoxia occurs in adipose tissue in obese mice and that adipose hypoxia may contribute to the endocrine alterations. The adipose hypoxia was demonstrated by a reduction in the interstitial partial oxygen pressure (Po(2)), an increase in the hypoxia probe signal, and an elevation in expression of the hypoxia response genes in ob/ob mice. The adipose hypoxia was confirmed in dietary obese mice by expression of hypoxia response genes. In the adipose tissue, hypoxia was associated with an increased…