Obesity is associated with increased incidence and severity of various types of infection. In addition, it is well documented that obesity causes chronic, low-level inflammation, which is thought to contribute to many of obesity’s complications. Studies of genetic obesity models have shed some light on how obesity influences inflammatory responses, but models of diet-induced obesity (DIO) have not been well characterised in this respect. Lawrence et al. compared responses to bacterial endotoxin, an acute inflammatory stimulus, in control mice, a model of genetic obesity (ob/ob) and a model of DIO. Both obesity models had impaired immune responses to the endotoxin, but there were notable differences that might help to better understand inflammatory responses in obese humans. Page 649

Written by editorial staff. © 2012. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.
2012
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