Epigenetic priming of inflammatory response genes by high glucose in adipose progenitor cells.

Evidence from laboratory and animal studies provides groundwork for understanding mechanisms and potential before human studies continue.

• Level A · Stronger Clinical Evidence
• Level B · Emerging clinical evidence with positive signals
• Level C · Early human research exploring benefits
• Level D · Scientific groundwork from lab and animal studies
• Emerging · Emerging topic under active research

Abstract (original English)

Cellular metabolism confers wide-spread epigenetic modifications required for regulation of transcriptional networks that determine cellular states. Mesenchymal stromal cells are responsive to metabolic cues including circulating glucose levels and modulate inflammatory responses. We show here that long term exposure of undifferentiated human adipose tissue stromal cells (ASCs) to high glucose upregulates a subset of inflammation response (IR) genes and alters their promoter histone methylation patterns in a manner consistent with transcriptional de-repression. Modeling of chromatin states from combinations of histone modifications in nearly 500 IR genes unveil three overarching chromatin configurations reflecting repressive, active, and potentially active states in promoter and enhancer elements. Accordingly, we show that adipogenic differentiation in high glucose predominantly upregulates IR genes. Our results indicate that elevated extracellular glucose levels sensitize in ASCs an IR gene expression program which is exacerbated during adipocyte differentiation. We propose that high glucose exposure conveys an epigenetic 'priming' of IR genes, favoring a transcriptional inflammatory response upon adipogenic stimulation. Chromatin alterations at IR genes by high glucose exposure may play a role in the etiology of metabolic diseases.

Evidence level

Evidence from laboratory and animal studies provides groundwork for understanding mechanisms and potential before human studies continue.

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