Intestinal regulatory T cell induction by β-elemene alleviates the formation of fat tissue-related inflammation

The role of the intestinal immune system in the inhibition of fat tissue-related inflammation by dietary material is yet to be elucidated. Oral administration of b-elemene, contained in various foodstuffs, downregulated expressions of inflammatory cytokines and increased Foxp3+CD4+ T cells in adipose tissue of obese mice. However, b-elemene did not affect the inflammatory response of adipose tissue in vitro, suggesting that the inhibition observed in vivo was not due to direct interactions of adipose tissue with b-elemene. Instead, b-elemene increased Foxp3+CD4+ T cell population enhancing gene expressions of transforming growth factor b 1, retinaldehyde dehydrogenase 2, integrin avb8, and interleukin-10 in intestinal dendritic cells (DCs) in vivo and in vitro. Taken together, this study suggested the therapeutic effects of b-elemene on treating experimental obesity-induced chronic inflammation by adjusting the balance of immune cell populations in fat tissue through the generation of regulatory T cells in the intestinal immune system by modulating DC function.