The findings of the present study showed that DFO consumption significantly increased CD86 cells and decreased CD206 cells. Numerous studies have suggested the role of adipose tissue macrophages in inflammation (
5,
7,
22,
23). The increase in the number of adipose tissue macrophages can be justified by two distinct mechanisms. The first is a change in macrophage recruitment from monocytes and the second a local proliferation of macrophages called from adipose tissue. It has been suggested that the largest population of macrophages in adipose tissue of obese mice is the M1 phenotype macrophages, which is associated with increased expression of inflammatory mediators such as tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) (
12). In contrast, the largest population of macrophages in lean conditions is M2 phenotype members, which is associated with the gene expression of anti-inflammatory proteins such as IL-10 (
7). In this study, CD86 from M1 phenotype and CD206 from M2 phenotype were studied and the findings obtained from DFO consumption are consistent with the findings in this area. The consumption of DFO significantly increased the CD86 population, while the CD206 population reduced significantly, which indicates a change in macrophage population pattern under obesity conditions. Fatty acid increase in adipose tissue seems to activate the TLR4, NF-κB, IKKβ, and JNK, which each of these substances stimulate inflammatory cytokines such as TNF-α, IL-6, and iNOS (
24). These inflammatory cytokines and proteins involved in the feedback loop between adipocytes and circulating monocytes increase polarization of M1 phenotype macrophages and increase their penetration into adipose tissue. Accordingly, an increase in CD86 may be justified by consumption of DFO. Another finding of the present study showed that AT significantly reduced CD86 levels in rats fed DFO, however, AT had no significant effect on CD206 levels. AT is associated with anti-inflammatory responses in various organs such as skeletal muscle, liver, and adipose tissue (
25). AT can reduce visceral fat mass and subsequently reduce the production of inflammatory adipokines, decrease in expression of quasi-tail receptors in monocytes and macrophages, as well as produce anti-inflammatory molecules from leukocytes and skeletal muscle (
26,
27). Inhibition of monocyte/macrophage infiltration into adipose tissue and alteration of macrophage phenotype into adipose tissue are results of training (
27-
29). The anti-inflammatory effect of training may reduce inflammation by induction of change of M1 macrophage to M2 macrophage levels in adipose tissue as well as by reducing adipose tissue permeability to macrophages and protecting against chronic inflammatory diseases. Accordingly, it has been shown that running on the treadmill (in obese mice) decreased the expression of M1 macrophage marker and increased M2 macrophage marker (
28). On the other hand, decreased TNF-α mRNA expression and CD11c levels after training in HFD mice have been reported (
30). According to the above findings, it seems that the decrease of CD86 in this study can be attributed to the decrease of fat cell size in the AT group compared to the DFO control group. As noted, due to the decrease in adipose cell size, the rate of M1 phenotype macrophage entry reduces, which was observed in the present study. Nonetheless, AT had no significant effect on CD206 in adipose tissue. In a study, it has been shown that in mice with HFD, training couldn’t increase the levels CD206 cells, however, it has even decreased (
14), which researchers believe that improving the inflammatory profile in HFD mice with training may be due to a decrease in both M1 and M2 phenotype macrophage in adipose tissue.
Another finding of the present study showed that O administration decreased CD86 levels and increased CD206 in adipose tissue. O enhances the process of lipolysis by activating β3-adrenoceptors in adipose tissue (
31). Increased lipolysis in adipocytes attenuates the accumulation of fatty acids and this decrease weakens the inflammatory mediators (
24). As a result of the decrease in inflammation, macrophage permeability to adipose tissue decreased and a change in macrophage pattern from M1 to M2 phenotype is observed (
7,
25). Interaction of AT and O on reduction of CD86 was significant. Both AT and O appear to decrease the permeability of these macrophages through decreasing adipose cell size and inflammatory mediators. Although in the AT + O group the CD206 levels were higher than AT and O groups alone, the observed interaction was not statistically significant. It appears that the effect of AT and to some extent O is more on the M1 phenotype than on the M2 phenotype.