Human adenovirus 36 (Ad36) is positively associated with
obesity in humans and animals. Ad36
infection is characterized by increased adiposity and
inflammation. To investigate the possibility that a prophylactic
vaccine candidate might protect against Ad36-induced
obesity and
inflammation, we purified Ad36 and ultraviolet-irradiated virus to obtain a
vaccine candidate. After immunizing the mice with the
vaccine candidate (vaccinated group), live Ad36 was injected into mice as a challenge test. Unvaccinated mice (control group) were immunized with
phosphate-buffered saline and then challenged with live Ad36. Fourteen weeks after challenge, we compared adiposity and
inflammation in vaccinated and control mice. The control group showed 17% greater
body weight and 20% more epididymal
fats compared with the vaccinated group. In addition, the vaccinated group had decreased serum levels of pro-inflammatory
cytokines, and infiltrated immune cells, especially M1 macrophages, in fat tissue. Therefore, the
vaccine candidate for Ad36 was able to protect against Ad36-increased
body weight and fat as well as inflammatory states after challenge. These results provide proof-of-concept for prophylactic vaccination against virus-induced adiposity.