Elsevier

Molecular Metabolism

Volume 5, Issue 11, November 2016, Pages 1113-1120
Molecular Metabolism

Brief Communication
Depot-specific differences in angiogenic capacity of adipose tissue in differential susceptibility to diet-induced obesity

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molmet.2016.09.001Get rights and content
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Highlights

  • Angiogenic capacity (AC) of visceral fat is greater in DIO mice than in DR mice.

  • AC of subcutaneous fat is not different between DIO and DR mice.

  • AC of visceral fat correlated more strongly with body weight than subcutaneous fat.

  • Fat depot-specific differences in AC exist in mice.

  • The depot specificity may differentially contribute to the susceptibility to obesity.

Abstract

Objective

Adipose tissue (AT) expansion requires AT remodeling, which depends on AT angiogenesis. Modulation of AT angiogenesis could have therapeutic promise for the treatment of obesity. However, it is unclear how the capacity of angiogenesis in each adipose depot is affected by over-nutrition. Therefore, we investigated the angiogenic capacity (AC) of subcutaneous and visceral fats in lean and obese mice.

Methods

We compared the AC of epididymal fat (EF) and inguinal fat (IF) using an angiogenesis assay in diet-induced obese (DIO) mice and diet-resistant (DR) mice fed a high-fat diet (HFD). Furthermore, we compared the expression levels of genes related to angiogenesis, macrophage recruitment, and inflammation using RT-qPCR in the EF and IF of lean mice fed a low-fat diet (LFD), DIO mice, and DR mice fed a HFD.

Results

DIO mice showed a significant increase in the AC of EF only at 22 weeks of age compared to DR mice. The expression levels of genes related to angiogenesis, macrophage recruitment, and inflammation were significantly higher in the EF of DIO mice than in those of LFD mice and DR mice, while expression levels of genes related to macrophages and their recruitment were higher in the IF of DIO mice than in those of LFD and DR mice. Expression of genes related to angiogenesis (including Hif1a, Vegfa, Fgf1, Kdr, and Pecam1), macrophage recruitment, and inflammation (including Emr1, Ccr2, Itgax, Ccl2, Tnf, and Il1b) correlated more strongly with body weight in the EF of HFD-fed obese mice compared to that of IF.

Conclusions

These results suggest depot-specific differences in AT angiogenesis and a potential role in the susceptibility to diet-induced obesity.

Keywords

Angiogenesis
Inflammation
Adipose tissue
Diet-induced obese mice
Diet-resistant mice
High-fat diet

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