Chronic low-grade
inflammation is known to be linked to
obesity, and to occur in the early stages of the disease. This mechanism is complex and involves numerous organs, cells, and
cytokines. In this context,
inflammation of white adipose tissue seems to play a key role in the development of
obesity. Because of its properties,
prostaglandin E2 (
PGE2), an emblematic inflammatory mediator, has been proposed as an actor linking
inflammation and
obesity. Indeed,
PGE2 is involved in mechanisms that are dysregulated in
obesity such as lipolysis and adipogenesis. Microsomal
prostaglandin E synthase-1 (mPGES-1) is an
enzyme, which specifically catalyzes the final step of
PGE2 biosynthesis. Interestingly, mPGES-1 invalidation dramatically alters the production of
PGE2 during
inflammation. In the present work, we sought to determine whether mPGES-1 could contribute to
inflammation associated with
obesity. To this end, we analyzed the energy metabolism of mPGES-1 deficient mice (mPGES-1-/-) and littermate controls, fed with a high-fat diet. Our data showed that mPGES-1-/- mice exhibited resistance to diet-induced
obesity when compared to wild-type littermates. mPGES-1-/- mice fed with a high-fat diet, showed a lower
body weight gain and a reduced adiposity, which were accompanied by a decrease in adipose tissues
inflammation. We also observed an increase in energy expenditures in mPGES-1-/- mice fed with a high-fat diet without any changes in activity and browning process. Altogether, these data suggest that mPGES-1 inhibition may prevent diet-induced
obesity.