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Updated: May 11, 2026

Assessment of Human Adipose Tissue Microvascular Function Using Videomicroscopy
Published on: September 29, 2017
Vcam1+ Fibro-adipogenic Progenitors Mark Fatty Infiltration in Chronic Limb Threatening Ischemia
Qunsheng Dai1, Changxin Wan2, Yueyuan Xu3,4,5
1Division of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery, Department of Surgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA.
Abstract:
Skeletal muscle health and function is a critical determinant of clinical outcomes in patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD). Herein, we identify fatty infiltration, the ectopic deposition of adipocytes in skeletal muscle, as a histological hallmark of end-stage PAD, also known as chronic limb threatening ischemia (CLTI). Leveraging single cell transcriptome mapping in mouse models of PAD, we identify a pro-adipogenic mesenchymal stromal cell population marked by expression of Vcam1 (termed Vcam1+ FAPs) that expands in the ischemic limb. Mechanistically, we identify Sfrp1 and Nr3c1 as regulators of Vcam1+ FAP adipogenic differentiation. Loss of Sfrp1 and Nr3c1 impair Vcam1+ FAP differentiation into adipocytes in vitro. Finally, we show that Vcam1+ FAPs are enriched in human CLTI patients. Collectively, our results identify a pro-adipogenic FAP subpopulation in CLTI patients and provide a potential therapeutic target for muscle regeneration in PAD.
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