Updated project metadata.
Both epidemiological data and scientific reports corroborate the higher incidence of
neuropathy and chronic pain in female gender not only in patients with metabolic
disorders but also in normometabolic subjects and in murine models. Our previous
results showed different immune and neuroimmune response to neuropathic pain
(NeP) between male and female mice as well as a different metabolic pattern in
proteins expressed in sciatic nerve. Here, we provide evidence that adipose tissue
(AT) plays a contributing role in sex-dependent differences before and after peripheral
nerve injury-induced NeP in mice. The metabolic parameters assessed, the metabolic
profile signature (metabolomics), the energy expenditure evaluation, the AT proteomic
analysis and the adipokines mobilization reveal a sex-specific AT response to
peripheral nerve damage. Of interest, an alteration of lipolysis and fatty acids oxidation
(FAO) emerges in females as well as an enhancement of whole-body energy
expenditure and higher secretion of sex hormones from AT, affecting glucose and
insulin metabolism. On the contrary, neuropathy in males induced an engagement of
glycolysis pathway, a decrease of systemic energy expenditure and unsaturated fattyacids levels. In males, AT responds favoring molecules useful in regenerative
processes and in the oxidative stress, as well as stimulating peroxisome proliferator
activated receptors (PPARs) gamma subtype (PPAR-γ) and adiponectin.
This study discloses new factors underlying the higher susceptibility of female sex to
NeP, indicating in AT a crucial player for the regulation of sex-dependent inflammatory
and metabolic response to nerve lesion.