Significantly greater inflammation, proinflammatory molecule levels, and aromatase expression were found in both the MG and visceral fat (VF) of ob/ob compared with wild-type mice.
| Endpoint | MG | VF | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wild-type | ob/ob | P | Wild-type | ob/ob | P | |
| Inflammatory foci | 0.8 (0.0, 2.6) | 13.8 (8.5, 20.4) | <0.001 | 0 (0.0,10.6) | 64.5 (25.5, 202) | <0.001 |
| Relative TNF-α expression | 0.9 (0.6, 4.9) | 4.9 (0.7, 9.7) | 0.007 | 1.0 (0.5, 2.8) | 5.3 (0.6, 8.7) | 0.02 |
| Relative IL-1β expression | 1.0 (0.4, 2.3) | 2.9 (0.3, 9.7) | 0.02 | 1.1 (0.03, 6.0) | 5.7 (1.1, 7.9) | 0.005 |
| Relative Cox-2 expression | 1.0 (0.4, 2.5) | 3.8 (1.2, 5.7) | 0.001 | 1.0 (0.4, 3.7) | 2.2 (0.6, 4.8) | 0.02 |
| Relative aromatase expression | 1.2 (0.2, 5.6) | 6.1 (0.04, 7.6) | 0.007 | 0.9 (0.4, 2.7) | 1.8 (0.8, 6.8) | 0.009 |
| Aromatase activity | 90 (68,112) | 210 (146, 278) | <0.001 | 98 (67, 154) | 272 (177, 355) | <0.001 |
NOTE: Inflammatory foci, number of inflammatory foci per cm2 of tissue; real-time PCR was used to quantify relative TNF-α, IL-1β, Cox-2, and aromatase transcript levels; aromatase activity, femtomoles/μg protein/hour. Values are summarized in median (range), P values are based on Wilcoxon rank-sum test, n = 10/gp.