Anti‐Inflammatory Role of Myo‐Inositol in Obesity: Suppression of TNF‐α‐Induced Inflammation and Monocyte Adhesion in Hypertrophic Human Adipocytes

Inflammation in hypertrophic adipose tissue is a key driver of obesity-related cardiometabolic diseases. Under insulin resistance conditions, insulin signaling shifts toward pro-inflammatory pathways, disrupting normal metabolic processes. Inositols (INSs), a class of carbocyclic sugars, serve as important secondary messengers in insulin signaling. This study investigates whether myo-inositol (MYO), in addition to its known insulin-sensitizing properties, also exerts anti-inflammatory effects, and thus potentially attenuates adipose tissue inflammation. Human Simpson-Golabi-Behmel syndrome (SGBS) adipocytes were treated with MYO (100 μmol/L) for 4 h before pro-inflammatory stimulation with different dymetabolic-related cytokines including tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-1β, and lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Pro-inflammatory gene expression and protein secretion were assessed via qPCR, ELISA, EIA, and immunocytochemistry, while reactive oxygen species (ROS) overproduction, nuclear factor (NF)-κB activation, and mitochondrial content were assessed using specific probes and transactivation assays, respectively. Functionally, the regulation of adhesion of monocytes to inflamed adipocytes was quantified using a cell adhesion assay. MYO significantly reduced the pro-inflammatory expression and secretion of CCL-2, CXCL-10, and IL-6, resulting in reduced adhesion of monocytes to inflamed adipocytes. Additionally, MYO suppressed TNF-α-induced surface expression of ICAM-1, a critical adhesion molecule in adipose tissue inflammation. Mechanistically, MYO attenuated ROS overproduction and the related NF-κB activation, the key regulator of adipocyte inflammation, and improved the mitochondrial dysfunction, thus overall restoring adipose tissue dysfunction. Although further research is needed, these findings suggest that MYO effectively improves the inflammatory and dysmetabolic profile of hypertrophic fat cells, highlighting its potential as a therapeutic option for metabolic disorders.