Effect of suction pressures on cell yield and functionality of the adipose-derived stromal vascular fraction

The present study was performed to explore the effect of suction pressures on the cell yield of adipose-derived stromal vascular fraction (SVF) and the functionality of adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs), situated in the SVF, and to develop optimal parameters of harvesting SVF for clinical use.

Adipose tissue was harvested from the lower abdomen of 10 patients by suction-assisted lipoplasty. Suction pressure was either -30 ± 5 kPa or -55 ± 5 kPa. The aspirated samples were subjected to macroscopic observation to verify the adipose particle size and cytological analysis to detect the cell yield and functionality of the SVF harvested.

Adipose tissue harvested at -30 ± 5 kPa appeared to have smaller particle sizes and less blood red cells than that harvested at -55 ± 5 kPa. Cell counts revealed that the cell number of the SVF obtained at -30 ± 5 kPa was more than 2-fold higher than that obtained at -55 ± 5 kPa. Cell growth at passages 1 and 2 was faster at -30 ± 5 kPa than that at -55 ± 5 kPa. The secretion of basic fibroblast growth factor and vascular endothelial growth factor as well as the capacity for adipogenic differentiation of the cultured cells at passages 1-3 were higher at -30 ± 5 kPa than those at -55 ± 5 kPa. There was no difference in the expression of the phenotypic markers between the two groups.

Our data indicate that the pressure for harvesting adipose tissue affects the yield and viability of the SVF. A lower suction pressure is beneficial to harvesting the SVF for clinical use.