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Updated: Nov 28, 2025
Assessment of Viability of Human Fat Injection into Nude Mice with Micro-Computed Tomography
Published on: January 7, 2015
Quality and Quantity-Cultured Human Mononuclear Cells Improve Human Fat Graft Vascularization and Survival in an In
Maxim Geeroms1, Satoshi Fujimura1, Emiko Aiba1
1From the Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Juntendo University School of Medicine; and the Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel.
Background:
Fat graft ischemia impedes us from having satisfying long-term results. The quality and quantity culture is a 1-week cell culture that increases the vasculogenic potential of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMNC). This in vivo murine model investigates whether enrichment with quality and quantity-cultured human mononuclear cells (MNC-QQ) improves the vascularization in the human fat graft and whether this decreases the tissue loss.
Methods:
Human adipose tissue, PBMNC, MNC-QQ, and stromal vascular fraction were prepared. First, PBMNC, MNC-QQ, and stromal vascular fraction were compared in vitro for vasculogenic potential by endothelial progenitor cell colony-forming and culture assays. Second, 0.25-g fat grafts were created with 1 × 106 PBMNC (n = 16), 1 × 106 MNC-QQ (n = 16), 1 × 106 stromal vascular fraction (n = 16), or phosphate-buffered saline as control (n = 16) before grafting in BALB/c nude mice. Grafts were analyzed for weight persistence, vessel formation by CD31 immunohistochemistry, and angiogenic markers by quantitative polymerase chain reaction.
Results:
MNC-QQ develop more definitive endothelial progenitor cell colonies and more functional endothelial progenitor cells compared to PBMNC and stromal vascular fraction. Weight persistence after 7 weeks was significantly higher in grafts with MNC-QQ (89.8 ± 3.5 percent) or stromal vascular fraction (90.1 ± 4.2 percent) compared with control (70.4 ± 6.3 percent; p < 0.05). MNC-QQ-enriched grafts had the highest vessel density (96.6 ± 6.5 vessels/mm2; control, 70.4 ± 5.6 vessels/mm2; p < 0.05). MNC-QQ exerted a direct vasculogenic effect through vascular integration and a potential paracrine vascular endothelial growth factor-mediated effect.
Conclusion:
Quality and quantity-cultured human mononuclear cells containing endothelial progenitor cells stimulate fat graft vascularization and enhance graft survival in a rodent recipient.
