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University of California, Riverside, scientists have an explanation for why males and females respond differently to obesity. They report in PNAS Nexus that certain immune cell populations in fat tissue may protect against obesity-related inflammation while others may contribute to harmful metabolic changes. They found these immune cells, called eosinophils and traditionally associated with asthma and allergies, behave differently in males and females.

The research, done in mice and led by biomedical scientists Meera Nair and Adam Godzik, challenges the conventional view that eosinophils are relatively uniform immune cells with a limited range of functions and suggests new possibilities for developing targeted treatments.

Using high-resolution single-cell sequencing, the team identified six distinct eosinophil populations in adipose (fat) tissue, each with different gene-expression patterns and potential functions.

"Eosinophils are more complex than we once thought," said Nair, a professor of biomedical sciences in the UCR School of Medicine. "Some populations can protect against obesity, and if we can identify and activate the pathways that produce these protective cells, we may find new ways to improve metabolic health."

The researchers found that female mice had a protective eosinophil population that communicated more effectively with macrophages, another type of immune cell found in fat tissue. This interaction may help maintain a healthier metabolic environment, Nair said.

Male mice, by contrast, tended to develop more pro-inflammatory eosinophil populations when fed a high-fat diet.

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