# Regulation of adipose tissue microvascular function by IL19

> **NIH NIH R01** · TEMPLE UNIV OF THE COMMONWEALTH · 2022 · $554,750

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY / ABSTRACT
The expanding visceral fat depots (VAT) of overweight and obese individuals experience dysfunction of the
microcirculation with hypoxia and abnormal infiltration of leukocytes. Infiltrating immune cells and hypoxic
adipocytes cause a systemic low-grade inflammation that is considered now causative of cardiovascular disease
and metabolic disorders. Thus, the incidence of cardiometabolic disorders (hypertension, kidney disease, and
insulin resistance) are becoming epidemic in the ever-growing overweight population of the USA. The precise
mechanisms by which weight gain alters microvascular responses in VAT remain poorly understood.
Furthermore, it has not been determined whether impaired microvascular responses of VAT are the initiating
cause of cardiometabolic dysfunction and disease. We have identified a novel adipokine, IL-19, expressed in the
adipose tissue of humans and mice. IL-19 is a newly discovered Th2-interleukin which has been recently
studied for its protective vascular effects in the setting of large vessels disease, such as atherosclerosis and
ischemia reperfusion injury. Preliminary data obtained in the Co-PI's laboratories strongly suggest that IL-19
regulate the homeostasis of adipose tissue microcirculation in diet-induced obesity. Accordingly, the
overarching hypothesis of this dual-investigator application is that IL-19 is a unique interleukin
that maintains cardiometabolic homeostasis by controlling angiogenesis and inflammatory
responses in VAT depots. The long-term goals of this project are: 1) to understand the mechanisms
through which IL-19 regulates vascularity and inflammation in VAT; and 2) to mechanistically correlate these
microvascular actions of IL-19 to whole-body insulin signaling. Toward these goals, we will utilize knockout
and transgenic mouse technology along with physiological, cellular, molecular, and biochemical techniques.
We anticipate that the results of this work will advance our understanding of the integrated mechanisms that
initiate and maintain VAT dysfunction and related cardiometabolic disorders in the overweight/obese
organism.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10503662
- **Project number:** 1R01DK133747-01
- **Recipient organization:** TEMPLE UNIV OF THE COMMONWEALTH
- **Principal Investigator:** MICHAEL V AUTIERI
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $554,750
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2022-09-01 → 2025-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10503662

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10503662, Regulation of adipose tissue microvascular function by IL19 (1R01DK133747-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-27 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10503662. Licensed CC0.

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