β-carotene and genistein modulate the phagocytic activity of human pre-adipocytes

Objective: Obesity is exceedingly associated with the development of type 2 diabetes. It is characterized by an increase in fat mass which is accused to cause a chronic pro-inflammatory state. Adipose tissue does not only comprise mature fat-storing adipcoytes, but also immuno-competent cells such as preadipocytes and macrophages. The latter cells also exert the ability to perform phagocytosis and, thus, may have an effect on the local inflammatory status in adipose tissue. In this study, the influence of β-carotene and genistein on the phagocytic activity of SGBS cells, a human preadipocyte cell line, and of fr…