Adipose Tissue Overexpression of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Protects Against Diet-Induced Obesity and Insulin Resistance

• DOI: 10.2337/db11-0832
• Publication Date: 2012-04-21T06:44:46Z
• Authors: Ivet Elias; Sylvie Franckhauser; Tura Ferré; Laia Vilà; Sabrina Tafuro; Sergio Muñoz; Carles Roca; David Ramos; Anna Pujol; Efren Riu; Jesús Ruberte; Fatima Bosch
• Keywords: Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; 0301 basic medicine; 2. Zero hunger; Adipose Tissue, White; Macrophages; Mice, Transgenic; Thermogenesis; Diet, High-Fat; Pathophysiology; 3. Good health; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Eating; Mice; 03 medical and health sciences; Adipose Tissue, Brown; Cell Movement; Glucose Intolerance; Animals; Obesity; Insulin Resistance; Energy Metabolism; Hypoxia

During the expansion of fat mass in obesity, vascularization adipose tissue is insufficient to maintain normoxia. Local hypoxia develops and may result altered adipokine expression, proinflammatory macrophage recruitment, insulin resistance. We investigated whether an increase angiogenesis could protect against obesity-induced and, consequently, Transgenic mice overexpressing vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) brown (BAT) white (WAT) were generated. Vessel formation, metabolism, inflammation studied VEGF transgenic wild-type littermates fed chow or a high-fat diet. Overexpression resulted increased blood vessel number size both WAT BAT protection diet-induced with no differences food intake. This was associated thermogenesis energy expenditure. Moreover, whole-body sensitivity glucose tolerance improved. presented infiltration, higher M2 anti-inflammatory fewer M1 macrophages than littermates, thus maintaining milieu that avoid These studies suggest overexpression potential therapeutic strategy for prevention obesity