| Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2094148 | Stem Cell Research | 2015 | 16 Pages |
•The SVF of human sWAT contains different DLK1+/CD34+ cell populations.•Only cs-DLK1−/cs-CD34+ cells exhibit proliferative and adipogenic capacity.•cs-DLK1+/cs-CD34− cells can neither proliferative nor undergo adipogenesis.•DLK1+ cells are localized in the adventitial vascular stroma and endothelium.•sWAT depots contain significant more DLK1+ cells than vWAT depots.
Sorting of native (unpermeabilized) SVF-cells from human subcutaneous (s)WAT for cell surface staining (cs) of DLK1 and CD34 identified three main populations: ~ 10% stained cs-DLK1+/cs-CD34−, ~ 20% cs-DLK1+/cs-CD34+ dim and ~ 45% cs-DLK1−/cs-CD34+. FACS analysis after permeabilization showed that all these cells stained positive for intracellular DLK1, while CD34 was undetectable in cs-DLK1+/cs-CD34− cells. Permeabilized cs-DLK1−/cs-CD34+ cells were positive for the pericyte marker α-SMA and the mesenchymal markers CD90 and CD105, albeit CD105 staining was dim (cs-DLK1−/cs-CD34+/CD90+/CD105+ dim/α-SMA+/CD45−/CD31−). Only these cells showed proliferative and adipogenic capacity. Cs-DLK1+/cs-CD34− and cs-DLK1+/cs-CD34+ dim cells were also α-SMA+ but expressed CD31, had a mixed hematopoietic and mesenchymal phenotype, and could neither proliferate nor differentiate into adipocytes. Histological analysis of sWAT detected DLK1+/CD34+ and DLK1+/CD90+ cells mainly in the outer ring of vessel-associated stroma and at capillaries. DLK1+/α-SMA+ cells were localized in the CD34− perivascular ring and in adventitial vascular stroma. All these DLK1+ cells possess a spindle-shaped morphology with extremely long processes. DLK1+/CD34+ cells were also detected in vessel endothelium. Additionally, we show that sWAT contains significantly more DLK1+ cells than visceral (v)WAT. We conclude that sWAT has more DKL1+ cells than vWAT and contains different DLK1/CD34 populations, and only cs-DLK1−/cs-CD34+/CD90+/CD105+ dim/α-SMA+/CD45−/CD31− cells in the adventitial vascular stroma exhibit proliferative and adipogenic capacity.
