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Chronic high-fat diet impairs collecting lymphatic vessel function in mice
Katrin S Blum1, Sinem Karaman1, Steven T Proulx1
1Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
Plos One
|April 10, 2014
Summary
High-fat diets impair lymphatic vessel function, reducing contractions and mechanostimulation response. This study links adipose tissue expansion to lymphatic dysfunction, impacting lipid uptake and potentially worsening obesity-related conditions.
Area of Science:
- Physiology
- Vascular Biology
- Obesity Research
Background:
- Lymphatic vessels are crucial for intestinal lipid absorption.
- Impaired lymphatic function contributes to adipose tissue accumulation.
- The impact of obesity on lymphatic function remains understudied.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how adipose tissue expansion influences lymphatic vessel function.
- To determine the effects of a high-fat diet (HFD) on lymphatic vasculature.
Main Methods:
- In vivo near-infrared (NIR) imaging of lymphatic vessel function in mice.
- Assessment of collecting lymphatic vessel contractions and mechanostimulation response.
- Histological and whole mount analyses of lymphatic vessels; tracer studies in K14-VEGF-C mice.
Main Results:
- High-fat diet (HFD) impaired collecting lymphatic vessel function, decreasing contraction frequency and mechanostimulation response.
- A negative correlation was observed between collecting lymphatic vessel function and body weight.
- Enlargement of contractile collecting lymphatic vessels and reduced tracer spread in dermal lymphatics were noted in HFD-fed mice.
Conclusions:
- Adipose tissue expansion, induced by HFD, functionally impairs the lymphatic vasculature.
- Collecting lymphatic vessels are predominantly affected by diet-induced obesity.
- Lymphatic dysfunction may exacerbate obesity and related metabolic complications.
