Subpopulation composition and prooxidant activity of visceral adipose tissue cells in patients with metabolic syndrome

Abstract

Purpose. The aim of the study was to investigate the subpopulation composition and prooxidant activity of adipose tissue cells in the big omentum of patients with metabolic syndrome.Material and Methods. A fragment of white adipose tissue obtained from the greater omentum during planned endoscopic cholecystectomy in 37 female patients aged 48 (34; 65) years was used as a material for the study. The main group was represented by patients with metabolic syndrome (n = 31) diagnosed according to current recommendations for management of patients with metabolic syndrome. Six patients without signs of metabolic syndrome, comparable with the main group in terms of age and gender, made up the comparison group. The subpopulation composition of the adipose tissue cells in the greater omentum was determined by immunohistochemical analysis. The content of reactive oxygen species in the isolated cell pools of adipocytes and mesenchymal stromal cells was identified using flow cytometry.Results. Comparison of the mean values in the groups showed a statistically significant prevalence in patients with metabolic syndrome only in the level of cells expressing CD68 (macrophage marker) on their surface (p < 0.05). Correlation analysis allowed to detect a positive relationship between morphometric indicators determining the severity of infiltrative changes of adipose tissue (the number of infiltrates) and the relative number of cells presenting CD3 (r = 0.357, p < 0.05), CD36 (r = 0.575, p < 0.05), and CD68 (r = 0.374, p < 0.05) on their surface, respectively. A comparative analysis of the level of reactive oxygen species in adipose tissue cells showed statistically significantly (p < 0.05) higher values of reactive oxygen species in patients with metabolic syndrome compared with the control group both in adipocytes and in mesenchymal stromal cells.Conclusion. The presence of a positive correlation between the relative numbers of cells presenting CD3, CD36, and CD68 markers and the morphometric parameters reflecting the severity of infiltrative manifestations suggested that the mentioned cell lymphocyte and macrophage populations were involved in the development of infiltration in the adipose tissue in metabolic syndrome. The pro-inflammatory phenotype of adipose tissue in metabolic syndrome was characterized not only by a number of morphological features, but also by enhanced prooxidant activity of the adipocytes and mesenchymal stromal cells.