Enhancement of hematopoiesis and lymphopoiesis in diet-induced obese mice

A rodent model of diet-induced obesity revealed that obesity significantly altered hematopoietic and lymphopoietic functions in the bone marrow and thymus. C57BL/6 mice were fed a mixed high-fat diet (HFD) of 45% fat or 10% fat diet (lean controls) for 180 d. A sustained increase in the numbers of cells found in bone marrow and thymus of HFD mice occurred from day 90 to day 180. However, with the exception of a 10-18% increase in the proportion of lymphocytes, the composition of monocytes, granulocytes, erythrocytes, and mixed progenitor lineages remained normal in the marrow. Likewise, thymuses of HFD mice increased 30-50% in size compared with controls, with analogous increases in thymocyte numbers. The overall thymus cellular composition remained normal. Although increased blood and lymphatic volume in obese mice would play a role in increased hematopoiesis, there were large and disproportionate increases in blood leukocytes of HFD mice, indicating that homeostasis was not maintained. Leptin, which promotes lymphopoiesis and myelopoiesis, reached 100 ng/mL in sera from HFD mice. Moreover, a three- to sixfold increase in adipocytes in marrow resulted in spiked leptin mRNA expression in bones of HFD mice compared with lean controls. Other cytokines and growth factors did not show any increases in obese marrow. The substantial increase in lymphopoietic and hematopoietic processes in HFD mice indicates that the primary tissues are another facet of the immune system dysregulated by obesity, which was perhaps fostered by higher amounts of leptin in marrow and serum.