Cited by 598Adipokines, Inflammation, and Metabolic DiseasesAdipose Tissue and MetabolismPeroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptors

Increased Adipocyte O2 Consumption Triggers HIF-1α, Causing Inflammation and Insulin Resistance in Obesity

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Lee, Yun Sok, Kim, Jung-whan, Osborne, Olivia, Oh, Da Young, Sasik, Roman, Schenk, Simon, Chen, Ai, Chung, Heekyung +5 more·2014·Cell

Abstract

Adipose tissue hypoxia and inflammation have been causally implicated in obesity-induced insulin resistance. Here, we report that, early in the course of high-fat diet (HFD) feeding and obesity, adipocyte respiration becomes uncoupled, leading to increased oxygen consumption and a state of relative adipocyte hypoxia. These events are sufficient to trigger HIF-1α induction, setting off the chronic adipose tissue inflammatory response characteristic of obesity. At the molecular level, these events involve saturated fatty acid stimulation of the adenine nucleotide translocase 2 (ANT2), an inner mitochondrial membrane protein, which leads to the uncoupled respiratory state. Genetic or pharmacologic inhibition of either ANT2 or HIF-1α can prevent or reverse these pathophysiologic events, restoring a state of insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance. These results reveal the sequential series of events in obesity-induced inflammation and insulin resistance.

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Crossref · 10.1016/j.cell.2014.05.012

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  • In insulin-responsive tissues, sustained HIF-1 activation promotes a shift toward glycolytic metabolism, alters mitochondrial function, and contributes to insulin resistance by disrupting normal oxidative metabolism and redox balance.

    “In insulin responsive tissues, sustained HIF-1 activation promotes a shift toward glycolytic metabolism, alters mitochondrial function, and contributes to insulin resistance by disrupting normal oxidative metabolism and redox balance [236,237].”

    From HIF inhibition: Current strategies and clinical challenges (2026) · cites this paper as [236]

    The Results section (page unavailable) links adipocyte HIF-1α activation in high-fat-diet mice to increased lactate production and shows that adipocyte HIF-1α deletion changes oxygen consumption. The Discussion (page unavailable) links HIF-1α induction to inflammation and insulin resistance. The paper does not establish the claimed mechanism of disrupted redox balance, and its direct findings concern adipocytes rather than insulin-responsive tissues generally; it also places uncoupled mitochondrial respiration upstream of HIF-1α induction. (LLM, conf=0.85)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • Adipocytes respond to hypoxia by inducing glycolysis and angiogenesis.

    “Adipocytes respond by inducing glycolysis and angiogenesis in an attempt to alleviate the hypoxia (3).”
  • VEGF is upregulated in adipose tissue of mice fed a high-fat diet for three days, but reports in chronic obesity show both enhanced and reduced VEGF expression.

    “For example, VEGF is upregulated in AT of mice fed a HFD for three days, but there are reports of both enhanced and reduced VEGF expression in chronic obesity (3,13,43,44), suggesting that sprouting angiogenesis is activated early and may or may not persist.”
  • HIF-2α attenuates high-fat-diet-induced inflammation.

    “In contrast, HIF-2α attenuates HFD-induced inflammation (3).”
  • Within three days of high-fat feeding, rapid adipocyte hypertrophy and mitochondrial uncoupling raise oxygen demand and lower oxygen availability.

    “Within three days of HFF, rapid adipocyte hypertrophy along with mitochondrial uncoupling increase the demand for oxygen and reduce oxygen availability (3).”

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Authors
Lee, Y. S., Kim, J.-W., Osborne, O., Oh, D. Y., Sasik, R., Schenk, S., Chen, A., Chung, H., Murphy, A., Watkins, S. M., Quehenberger, O., Johnson, R. S., & Olefsky, J. M.
Affiliations
  • University of California San Diego (US)
  • University of Cambridge (GB)
Corresponding author
  • Johnson, Randall S.
  • Olefsky, Jerrold M.
Venue
Cell
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2014-06
Volume
157
Issue
6
Pages
1339-1352
ISSN
0092-8674 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2023289992
Cited by
598
References
51
Citations by year
2026: 45 · 2025: 51 · 2024: 59 · 2023: 64 · 2022: 65 · 2021: 70 · 2020: 57 · 2019: 37 · 2018: 39 · 2017: 39 · 2016: 34 · 2015: 27 · 2014: 11
FWCI
27.96
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Cell (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
  • eScholarship (California Digital Library) (submittedVersion)
Funders
  • National Institute on Aging
  • Wellcome Trust
  • National Institutes of Health (DK-074868, P01-DK054441, DK-063491, DK-033651)
  • National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (R01AG043120, R24HD050837)
  • American Diabetes Association
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Epidemiology › Adipokines, Inflammation, and Metabolic Diseases
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Adipose Tissue and Metabolism
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptors
Keywords
HIF-1α, adipose tissue hypoxia, adipose tissue inflammation, insulin resistance, obesity, high-fat diet, uncoupled respiration, ANT2, saturated fatty acids, mitochondrial respiration, glucose tolerance
MeSH terms
Endothelial PAS Domain-Containing Protein 1, Animals, Fatty Acids, Inflammation, Insulin Resistance, Nitric Oxide, Obesity, Oxygen, Cell Hypoxia, Adipocytes, Mice, Knockout, Lactic Acid, Adenine Nucleotide Translocator 2, Mice, Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Proteins, Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit, Diet, High-Fat

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