Increased phosphocreatine/creatine ratio in white adipocytes promotes inflammation

The mechanisms promoting disturbed white adipocyte function in obesity remain largely unclear. Herein, we integrate white adipose tissue (WAT) metabolomic and transcriptomic data from clinical cohorts and find that the WAT phosphocreatine/creatine ratio is increased and creatine kinase-B expression and activity is decreased in the obese state. . In human in vitro and murine in vivo models, we demonstrate that decreased phosphocreatine metabolism in white adipocytes alters AMPK activity via effects on ATP/ADP levels, independently of WAT beigeing. This disturbance promotes a pro-inflammatory profile characterized, in part, by increased CCL2 production. These data suggest that the phosphocreatine/creatine system links cellular energy shuttling with pro-inflammatory responses in human and murine white adipocytes. Our findings provide unexpected perspectives on the mechanisms driving WAT inflammation in obesity and may present avenues to target adipocyte dysfunction. Short interfering oligonucleotides (siRNAs) were introduced by electroporation to human in vitro differentiated hADSCs at day eight of differentiation. 3 replicates for siCKB and sicontrol group, respectively. Total RNA was extracted for microarray analysis.