[Cultivation and morphological characteristics of rat adipose tissue-derived vascular endothelial cells in vitro]

The subcutaneous adipose tissue from the inguen of four Sprague-Dawley rats was obtained, then digested with one volume of collagenase type I and cultured with BGJb medium. The obtained adipose stromal cells were induced in human endothelial-SFM for 7 d. The cells were observed under inverted microscope every day and identified by transmission electron microscope and immunocytochemical staining with factor VIII antigen. The results showed the induced cells uniformly had characteristic cobblestone morphology of endothelial cells. Factor VIII antigen staining was positive in cytoplasm. Under transmission electron microscope, the cells displayed many finger like microvilli and numerous lysosomes, mitochondria, a few coarse endoplasmic reticulum and Weibel-Palade bodies. The characteristics of the rat adipose tissue-derived endothelial cells were consistent with those of vascular endothelial cells derived from other tissues. It seems that subcutaneous adipose tissue may represent a new alternative source of endogenous vascular endothelial cells.