Mature Adipocytes and FGF2 Influence Angiogenic Processes

Abstract

The process of wound healing requires the transportation of substrates needed for the rebuilding of tissue through appropriate vessel formation; angiogenesis. Adipose tissue extract is often used to facilitate the wound healing process, which is attributed to its potent angiogenic properties. Most angiogenic process are regulated through growth factors such as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), angiopoietin, and fibroblast growth factor (FGF). Fibroblast growth factor has been utilized to facilitate wound healing in the biomedical community, which is one of the growth factors synthesized and secreted by adipocytes. Therefore, it was hypothesized that mature adipocytes augment angiogenic processes in dispersed adipose tissue in the presence of FGF2 (basic). Adipose tissue was collected from 4 prepubertal female pigs (gilts) and enzymatically dispersed (collagenase type II). Cells were separated into 2 groups 1) mature lipid‐filled adipocytes (MA) and 2) all other cell types (OC) i.e., vascular endothelial cells (VEC), preadipocytes, and fibroblasts. The OC were incubated for 24 hr in cell culture media with 10% fetal bovine serum (FBS) to promote attachment and angiogenic processes. After the first 24 hr incubation period, media was removed and replaced with 2% FBS and MA were added with or without FGF2 (10−11 M) or rabbit polyclonal anti‐FGF2 (1:100 dilution) and incubated for an additional 24 hr. The MIXED procedure of SAS was utilized to determine the effect of treatment on in vitro angiogenic cellular processes. The addition of MA alone augmented cellular angiogenic processes including elongation, sprouting, formation of nascent tubes, and vessel tube formation (P < 0.05). However, vessel tube formation in the FGF2 treatment group was lower than MA alone (P < 0.05), which was ameliorated, in part, with FGF2 antibody treatment. Mature adipocytes appear to augment angiogenic processes; however, FGF2 may diminish or impair the progression of vessel tube formation.Support or Funding InformationUSDA LEADERS 2 Award #2017‐38422‐27298