Obesity drives depot-specific vascular remodeling in white adipose tissue
Obesity-driven pathological expansion of white adipose tissue (WAT) is a key driver of endothelial dysfunction. Contrary to this paradigm, early vascular alterations associated with over nutrition also exacerbate AT dysfunction. To dissect this complex cause and consequence relationship, here we perform a single-cell transcriptomics screen to generate a detailed landscape of endothelial heterogeneity and vascular alterations in murine model of obesity. Given the differences in ontogeny and function of distinct WAT depots, we demarcate key differences in subcutaneous and visceral WAT vasculature. In addition to descriptive taxonomy, we perform in-depth validation and characterization of our in silico data. We identify a sWAT specific fenestrated endothelial cell subtype, which is drastically reduced in obese conditions. This reduction was associated with a decrease in VEGFA expressing perivascular cells. The novel endothelial subtypes provide a basis for future research and new directions for therapeutic interventions.