Dead adipocytes, detected as crown-like structures, are prevalent in visceral fat depots of genetically obese mice.
Accumulation of visceral fat is a key phenomenon in the onset of obesity-associated metabolic disorders. Macrophage infiltration induces chronic mild inflammation widely considered as a causative factor for insulin resistance and eventually diabetes. We previously showed that >90% of macrophages infiltrating the adipose tissue of obese animals and humans are arranged around dead adipocytes, forming characteristic crown-like structures (CLS). In this study we quantified CLS in visceral and subcutaneous depots from two strains of genetically obese mice, db/db and ob/ob. In both strains, CLS were prevalent in visceral compared with subcutaneous fat. Adipocyte size and CLS density exhibited a positive correlation both in visceral and in subcutaneous depots; however, the finding that adipocyte size was smallest and CLS density highest in visceral fat suggests a different susceptibility of visceral and subcutaneous adipocytes to death. Visceral fat CLS density was 3.4-fold greater in db/db than in ob/ob animals, which at the age at which our experimental strain was used are more prone to glucose metabolic disorders.
Murano
I
I
Institute of Normal Human Morphology, University of Ancona (Politecnica delle Marche), Ancona, Italy.
Barbatelli
G
G
Parisani
V
V
Latini
C
C
Muzzonigro
G
G
Castellucci
M
M
Cinti
S
S
D017667:Adipocytes / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D016923:Cell Death; D005260:Female; D050152:Intra-Abdominal Fat / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D008820:Mice, Obese