title: Coimplanted endothelial cells improve adipose tissue grafts' survival by increasing vascularization.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  With goal of improving fat graft survival, many studies have focused on supplementing cells in the graft fat. In these studies, enhanced vascularization is considered the most important mechanism for the improved graft survival. Endothelial cells (ECs) are essential in vessel formation of the vascularization. Therefore, in this study, we coimplanted ECs with adipose tissue to investigate whether the ECs can enhance graft survival in a cell concentration-dependent manner.
  
  
  METHODS
  Endothelial cells were isolated from stromal vascular fraction derived from human liposuction aspirates, and the EC characteristics were confirmed by CD31 immunofluorescence staining, measuring acetylated low-density lipoprotein uptake, and observing the formation of capillary-like tubular structures in Matrigel. During the animal experiment, the isolated ECs were labeled, then added to 0.5-mL fat grafts at different numbers (0.5 × 10(6), 1 × 10(6), 2 × 10(6), and 4 × 10(6) cells) before subcutaneous implantation in nude mice. Grafts were harvested at 1 week, 1 month, and 2 months after -transplantation, and graft survival and vascularization were evaluated based on weight measurements, histological assessment, and vascular gene expression.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Stromal vascular fraction-derived vascular cells exhibited typical EC characteristics. The observed differences in explanted graft weight, vessel density, vascular gene expression, and cell tracking result indicated that coimplantation with ECs accelerated vascularization that increased graft survival in a concentration-dependent manner. Over the experimental period, fat grafts implanted with 4 × 10(6) ECs showed no weight loss and the greatest increases in measures of vascularization.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Endothelial cells can effectively enhance vascularization in fat grafts, and higher EC concentrations (eg, 4 × 10(6) ECs/0.5 mL adipose tissue) may best support graft survival.
authors: From the Department of Plastic Surgery, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.
authors: Xuan
authors: X
authors: Luo
authors: Weigang
authors: W
authors: Cao
authors: Haisong
authors: H
authors: Xu
authors: Lin
authors: L
authors: Wang
authors: Zhiliang
authors: Z
authors: Zhang
authors: Yi
authors: Y
authors: Lu
authors: Xin
authors: X
authors: Jin
authors: Xiaoyun
authors: X
authors: Ren
authors: Jiyin
authors: J
authors: He
authors: Mingang
authors: M
authors: Fu
authors: Yixiong
authors: Y
authors: Huang
authors: Qingmeng
authors: Q
authors: Pi
authors: Zhihong
authors: Z
authors: Fan
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000637:transplantation*; D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000166:cytology / Q000637:transplantation*; D005260:Female; D006085:Graft Survival / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008819:Mice, Nude; D018919:Neovascularization, Physiologic / Q000502:physiology*; D017695:Soft Tissue Injuries / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*