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Adipocyte and Cell Biology

Relevance of omental pericellular adipose tissue collagen in the pathophysiology of human abdominal obesity and related cardiometabolic risk

International Journal of Obesity volume 40, pages 1823–1831 (2016)Cite this article

Subjects

Abstract

Background:

Adipose tissue fibrosis is a relatively new notion and its relationship with visceral obesity and cardiometabolic alterations remains unclear, particularly in moderate obesity.

Objective:

Our objective was to examine if total and pericellular collagen accumulation are relevant for the pathophysiology of visceral obesity and related cardiometabolic risk.

Subjects and methods:

Surgical omental (OM) and subcutaneous (SC) fat samples were obtained in 56 women (age: 47.2±5.8 years; body mass index (BMI): 27.1±4.4 kg/m2). Body composition and fat distribution were measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and computed tomography, respectively. Total and pericellular collagen were measured using picrosirius red staining. CD68+ cells (total macrophages) and CD163+ cells (M2-macrophages) were identified using immunohistochemistry.

Results:

We found that only pericellular collagen percentage, especially in OM fat, was associated with higher BMI, body fat mass and adipose tissue areas as well as lower radiologic attenuation of visceral adipose tissue and altered cardiometabolic risk variables. Strong correlations between peri-adipocyte collagen percentage and total or M2-macrophage percentages were observed in both depots. Total collagen percentage in either compartment was not related to adiposity, fat distribution or cardiometabolic risk.

Conclusions:

As opposed to whole tissue-based assessments of adipose tissue fibrosis, collagen deposition around the adipocyte, especially in the OM fat compartment is related to total and regional adiposity as well as altered cardiometabolic risk profile.

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Acknowledgements

The study was supported by operating funds from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) to André Tchernof (MOP-102642). Andréanne Michaud is the recipient of a scholarship from Fonds de recherche du Québec-santé (FRQS) and a CIHR Institute of Gender and Health Gender, Sex and Health Research Skills Development Award, which was essential for this study. We also obtained funding from the Fondation pour la Recherche Médicale (FRM DEQ20120323701), the National Agency of Research (ANR Adipofib), the national program ‘Investissements d’avenir’. We would like to acknowledge the help of Marie-Frédérique Gauthier for the measurement of macrophage numbers. AT is the recipient of research grant support from Johnson & Johnson Medical Companies for studies unrelated to this publication.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Endocrinology and Nephrology,

    A Michaud, M Pelletier, S Laforest & A Tchernof

  2. CHU de Quebec-Laval University, Quebec City, Québec, Canada

    A Michaud, M Pelletier, S Laforest & A Tchernof

  3. S,

    A Michaud, S Laforest & A Tchernof

  4. chool of Nutrition, Laval University, Quebec City, Québec, Canada

    A Michaud, S Laforest & A Tchernof

  5. Quebec Heart and Lung Institute, Quebec City, Québec, Canada

    A Michaud, S Laforest & A Tchernof

  6. Nutrition Department, Institute of Cardiometabolism and Nutrition, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Pitié-Salpétrière Hospital, Paris, France

    J Tordjman, Y Liu & K Clément

  7. Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Université Paris 06, Paris, France

    J Tordjman, Y Liu & K Clément

  8. Gynecology Unit, Laval University Medical Center, Ville de Québec, Québec, Canada

    S Noël & C Bouchard

  9. Department of Pathology, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, UIMAP, UPMC Université Paris 06, Paris, France

    G Le Naour

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  1. A Michaud
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Correspondence to A Tchernof.

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Michaud, A., Tordjman, J., Pelletier, M. et al. Relevance of omental pericellular adipose tissue collagen in the pathophysiology of human abdominal obesity and related cardiometabolic risk. Int J Obes 40, 1823–1831 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1038/ijo.2016.173

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