Obesity has become an ongoing global crisis, since it increases the risks of
cardiovascular disease,
type 2 diabetes,
fatty liver,
cognitive decline, and some
cancers. Adipose tissue is closely associated with the disorder of lipid metabolism. Several efforts have been made toward the modulation of
lipid accumulation, but have been hindered by poor efficiency of cellular uptake, low safety, and uncertain effective dosage. Herein, we design an Fe3O4microsphere-doped composite
hydrogel (Fe3O4microspheres @
chitosan/β-
glycerophosphate/
collagen), termed as Fe3O4@Gel, as the magnetocaloric agent for magnetic
hyperthermia therapy (
MHT), aiming to promote lipolysis in white adipocytes. The experimental results show that the obtained Fe3O4@Gel displays a series of advantages, such as fast
sol-gel transition, high biocompatibility, and excellent magneto-thermal performance.
MHT, which is realized by Fe3O4@Gel subjected to an alternating magnetic field, leads to reduced
lipid accumulation, lower
triglyceride content, and increased mitochondrial activity in white adipocytes. This work shows that Fe3O4@Gel-mediated
MHT can effectively promote lipolysis in white adipocytesin vitro, which provides a potential approach to treat
obesity and associated metabolic disorders.