Novel cell-to-cell communications between macrophages and fibroblasts regulate obesity-induced adipose tissue fibrosis [scRNA-seq_1]

Mincle (Macrophage inducible C-type lectin, clec4e) is a pattern recognition receptor expressed in innate immune cells and can sense cell death, suggesting a role in sterile inflammation. We previously showed that expression of Mincle is induced in adipose tissue macrophages during the development of obesity. Mincle accelerates adipose tissue inflammation and fibrosis, thereby exacerbating ectopic lipid accumulation and insulin resistance in the liver. In this study, we performed single-cell RNA sequencing analysis of the SVF in visceral adipose tissue from diet-induced obese mice to analyze the cell-cell interaction between Mincle-expressing macrophages and activated fibroblasts. Male C57BL/6J mice were fed a standard diet (SD) for 16 weeks and a high-fat diet (HFD) for 8 and 16 weeks. Single-cell RNA sequencing analysis was conducted using the SVF prepared from epididymal white adipose tissue.