Localization, Identification, and Excision of Murine Adipose Depots

Summary

Due to the drastic and negative connection between obesity and other comorbidities, research on the role adipose plays in disease and overall health is warranted. We present a protocol for the isolation and excision of adipose depots allowing for the study of adipose using in situ and in vitro methods.

Abstract

Obesity has increased dramatically in the last few decades and affects over one third of the adult US population. The economic effect of obesity in 2005 reached a staggering sum of $190.2 billion in direct medical costs alone. Obesity is a major risk factor for a wide host of diseases. Historically, little was known regarding adipose and its major and essential functions in the body. Brown and white adipose are the two main types of adipose but current literature has identified a new type of fat called brite or beige adipose. Research has shown that adipose depots have specific metabolic profiles and certain depots allow for a propensity for obesity and other related disorders. The goal of this protocol is to provide researchers the capacity to identify and excise adipose depots that will allow for the analysis of different factorial effects on adipose; as well as the beneficial or detrimental role adipose plays in disease and overall health. Isolation and excision of adipose depots allows investigators to look at gross morphological changes as well as histological changes. The adipose isolated can also be used for molecular studies to evaluate transcriptional and translational change or for in vitro experimentation to discover targets of interest and mechanisms of action. This technique is superior to other published techniques due to the design allowing for isolation of multiple depots with simplicity and minimal contamination.

Introduction

Adipose made a notable appearance in the media spotlight, due to obesity’s dramatic increase during the last few decades of the 20th century. Obesity currently affects more than one-third of adults and 17% of children and adolescents in the United States (US)¹. Spanning all ethnic groups, statistical research surrounding the obesity epidemic has shown that non-Hispanic blacks have the highest age-adjusted rate of obesity (49.5%) compared with Mexican Americans (40.4%), all Hispanics (39.1%), and non-Hispanic whites (34.3%)². The economic effect of obesity is also a growing concern for the healthcare system. In 2012, it was estimated that th....

Protocol

NOTE: All animal procedures were performed with the approval of the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) of the University of Cincinnati and in accordance with the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals from the National Institutes of Health (NIH Publication No. 85-23, Revised 1996).

1. Euthanize and Sterilize the Mouse

1. Place the mouse in a dropbox containing a supratheraputic dose of isoflurane and allow to inhale to effect. Once the mouse is euthanized, remove from the box.
2. Cervically dislocate as a second means of euthanasia.
3. Sterilize the external surface of the mouse by cleansing....

Results

Identification, and localization of inguinal subcutaneous adipose, interscapular brown adipose, visceral epididymal adipose (Figure 1), as well as the aortic arch perivascular adipose, thoracic aortic adipose, suprarenal aortic adipose and the infrarenal aortic adipose (Figure 2) was achieved successfully using the described surgical method. Histological examination and differentiation between BAT and WAT samples were positively evaluated using Hematoxylin and Eosin (H&E) staining (<.......

Discussion

Obesity can lead to a large host of morbidities and the full understanding of the role that adipose plays is not fully understood; therefore continued research in the field of adipose is necessary. Animal models, specifically murine models are ideal for initial research in the progression of diseases and testing of potential pharmaceutical treatments. In using these models, precise isolation and excision of adipose depots is an extremely important and necessary tool in the study of pathology of adipose affected diseases........

Materials

List of materials used in this article

Name	Company	Catalog Number	Comments
Isoflurane	Med-Vet International	#RXISO-250
70% Ethanol	Fisher	07-678-001
DMEF-12	Sigma Aldrich	D-6421	Warm in waterbath before putting on tissue.
2 ml Microcentrifuge tubes	Midsci	MCT-200-C-S
Phosphate buffered saline	Sigma Aldrich	P5368-10PAK