Obesity-driven pathological expansion of white adipose tissue (WAT) is a key driver of endothelial dysfunction. White adipose tissue (WAT) reacts differently to over-nutrition, depending on whether it is subcutaneous (sWAT) or visceral WAT (vWAT). The study conducts a single-cell transcriptomic analysis of WAT endothelium to delineate endothelial heterogeneity and elucidates vascular alterations and its consequence in a male murine model of obesity. It demarcates depot-specific differences in sWAT and vWAT endothelium through in sillico analysis. Moreover, the study identifies a sWAT-specific fenestrated endothelial cell (EC) subtype, which declines in obese conditions. The team also identified VEGFA as an important signaling molecule necessary for maintaining vascular structure in fat tissue. When VEGFA levels drop, for instance due to a long-term high-fat diet, the blood vessels begin to lose both structure and function. This mechanism was observed not only in mice but also in human fat tissue.
Link to the publication: Obesity drives depot-specific vascular remodeling in male white adipose tissue (Hasan S.S. et al., Nature Communications,2025)
Link to the press release: How excessive fat tissue affects our blood vessels – new insights into vascular health in obesity
