Transcriptomic profiling of adipose tissue in a mouse model of chronic social isolation-induced glucose metabolism dysfunction

Social isolation is a growing global public health concern, associated not only with mental health disorders but also with metabolic diseases such as type 2 diabetes. This study investigates the molecular mechanisms by which chronic social isolation disrupts glucose homeostasis via sympathetic nervous system activation. To elucidate adipose tissue transcriptional responses under socially isolated conditions, inguinal white adipose tissue (iWAT) was collected from male C57BL/6J mice subjected to either standard group housing or single housing for 8 weeks (n = 3 per group). Bulk RNA sequencing was performed to characterize differential gene expression. Analysis revealed substantial transcriptional reprogramming in iWAT from isolated mice, including upregulation of thermogenic and lipid metabolic pathways, such as Ucp1, and activation of key transcriptional regulators like Pparg. These findings suggest that social isolation induces sympathetic-driven metabolic remodeling in adipose tissue. The dataset provides valuable insight into how psychosocial stress influences peripheral metabolic gene networks and may contribute to stress-related metabolic disorders. Six 8-week-old C57BL/6J mice were evenly divided into two groups and raised separately or in groups, respectively, to simulate social isolation. After 8 weeks, the mice were euthanized, and subcutaneous fat from the inguinal region was collected for RNA-seq analysis.