Evaluation of the production of oppositional cytokines IL-6 and IL-10 in the culture of mononuclear blood leukocytes in rats with metabolic syndrome

Aim: to evaluate the secretory activity of mononuclear blood leukocytes by the level of in vitro production of oppositional cytokines (pro-inflammatory IL-6 and anti-inflammatory IL-10) in rats in a model of diet-induced metabolic syndrome (MS) against the background of changes in the concentration of adipokines leptin and adiponectin.

Materials and methods. In male Wistar rats, MS was modeled by keeping for 12 weeks on a high-fat and high-carbohydrate diet; control group animals received a normal diet. Mononuclear leukocytes isolated by gradient centrifugation from heparinized blood were cultured in a medium based on RPMI-1640 (concentration of 2×10⁶ cells in 1 ml of medium) for 24 hours in sterile tubes in a CO₂-incubator in two variants – without the addition of an inducer and with the addition of bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS). The concentration of cytokines in the culture fluid, hormones leptin and adiponectin in the blood serum was determined by enzyme immunoassay. Statistical data processing was carried out in the SPSS Statistics 23.

Results. In animals exposed to a 12-week high-fat and high-carbohydrate diet, against the background of an increase in body weight, the specific mass of visceral adipose tissue, metabolic disorders (hyperglycemia, impaired glucose tolerance, dyslipidemia), high concentrations of leptin and low concentrations of adiponectin, the ability of mononuclear blood leukocytes to produce IL-6 and IL-10 in vitro at the basal level and when stimulated by bacterial LPS does not change.

Conclusion. Probably, the morphofunctional status and secretory profile of monocyte-macrophage system cells depends on the severity and duration of the metabolic and hormonal imbalance associated with obesity and systemic chronic inflammation.