Sleeve
gastrectomy (SG) is a
bariatric surgery that can effectively reduce weight and improve
obesity-associated comorbidities. However, surgical stress intensifies
inflammation and imbalanced metabolic profiles.
Arginine (Arg) is a nutrient with immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory properties. This study evaluated the short-term effects of Arg administration on adipocyte
inflammation and metabolic alterations in obese mice after SG. Mice were assigned to normal and high-fat diet (HFD) groups. After 16 weeks, the HFD group were divided to
sham (SH), SG with saline (SS), or Arg (SA) groups. SS and SA groups were postoperatively injected with saline or Arg via the tail vein and sacrificed at day 1 or 3 after the SG, respectively. Results showed that
obesity caused elevated plasma
glucose and
leptin levels. The SG operation enhanced the expression of inflammatory
cytokines and macrophage infiltration in adipose tissues, whereas hepatocyte gene expressions associated with
lipid β-oxidation were downregulated. Arg treatment reversed the expressions of β-oxidation-associated genes and reduced
lipid peroxide production in the liver. Additionally, adipose tissue expressions of inflammatory
chemokines were reduced, while the M2 macrophage marker increased after surgery. The findings suggest that postoperative Arg administration elicited more balanced hepatic lipid metabolism, polarized macrophages toward the anti-inflammatory type, and attenuated adipocyte
inflammation shortly after SG.