The fate of adipocytes after nonvascularized fat grafting: evidence of early death and replacement of adipocytes.

Evidence from laboratory and animal studies provides groundwork for understanding mechanisms and potential before human studies continue.

• Level A · Stronger Clinical Evidence
• Level B · Emerging clinical evidence with positive signals
• Level C · Early human research exploring benefits
• Level D · Scientific groundwork from lab and animal studies
• Emerging · Emerging topic under active research

Abstract (original English)

Background Clinical outcomes following fat grafting are variable and technique dependent, and it is unknown how the graft is revascularized. The authors recently observed that living and dead adipocytes can be differentiated not with hematoxylin and eosin staining but with immunohistochemistry for perilipin. Methods The viability of cellular components (adipocytes, adipose stem/stromal/progenitor cells, vascular endothelial cells, and hematopoietic cells) in human adipose tissue was evaluated using (1) stored lipoaspirates, (2) cultured cells, and (3) organ-cultured adipose tissue. In addition, the groin fat pad (150 to 200 mg) in mice was transplanted under the scalp, and the graft was stained at 0, 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, or 14 days. Results In vitro studies revealed that adipocytes are most susceptible to death under ischemic conditions, although adipose-derived stromal cells can remain viable for 3 days. The in vivo study indicated that most adipocytes in the graft began to die on day 1, and only some of the adipocytes located within 300 μm of the tissue edge survived. The number of proliferating cells increased from day 3, and an increase in viable adipocyte area was detected from day 7, suggesting that repair/regeneration of the dead tissue had begun. Conclusions The authors show convincing evidence of very dynamic remodeling of adipose tissue after nonvascularized grafting. The a

Evidence level

Evidence from laboratory and animal studies provides groundwork for understanding mechanisms and potential before human studies continue.

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