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Method Article
The present protocol describes a simple method for isolating preadipocytes from adipose tissue in broiler embryos. This method enables isolation with high yield, primary culture, and adipogenic differentiation of preadipocytes. Oil Red O staining and lipid/DNA stain measured the adipogenic ability of isolated cells induced with differentiation media.
Primary preadipocytes are a valuable experimental system for understanding the molecular pathways that control adipocyte differentiation and metabolism. Chicken embryos provide the opportunity to isolate preadipocytes from the earliest stage of adipose development. This primary cell can be used to identify factors influencing preadipocyte proliferation and adipogenic differentiation, making them a valuable model for studies related to childhood obesity and control of excess fat deposition in poultry. The rapid growth of postnatal adipose tissue effectively wastes feed by allocating it away from muscle growth in broiler chickens. Therefore, methods to understand the earliest stages of adipose tissue development may provide clues to regulate this tendency and identify ways to limit adipose expansion early in life. The present study was designed to develop an efficient method for isolation, primary culture, and adipogenic differentiation of preadipocytes isolated from developing adipose tissue of commercial broiler (meat-type) chick embryos. The procedure has been optimized to yield cells with high viability (~98%) and increased capacity to differentiate into mature adipocytes. This simple method of embryonic preadipocyte isolation, culture, and differentiation supports functional analyses of fat growth and development in early life.
Obesity is a global health threat to both adults and children. Children who are overweight or obese are approximately five times more likely to be obese as adults, placing them at significantly increased risk for cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and many other comorbidities. About 13.4% of US children aged 2-5 have obesity1, illustrating that the tendency to accumulate excess body fat can be set in motion very early in life. For very different reasons, the accumulation of excess adipose tissue is a concern for broiler (meat-type) chickens. Modern broilers are incredibly efficient but still accumulate more lipid than is physiologically necessary2,3. This tendency begins soon after hatch and effectively wastes feed, the most expensive production component, by allocating it away from muscle growth. Therefore, for both children and broiler chickens, albeit for very different reasons, there is a need to understand factors that influence adipose tissue development and identify ways to limit adipose expansion early in life.
Adipocytes form from preadipocytes, adipose tissue-derived stem cells that undergo differentiation to develop mature, lipid-storing fat cells. Accordingly, preadipocytes in vitro are a valuable experimental model for obesity studies. These cells, isolated from the stromal vascular fraction of adipose depots, can provide a fundamental understanding of molecular pathways controlling adipocyte differentiation and metabolism4,5. Chick embryos are a favorable experimental model in developmental studies because culturing eggs on the desired schedule makes experimental manipulation easier, as it enables obtaining embryos without the mother's sacrifice to observe a series of developmental stages of embryos. Moreover, complicated surgical procedures and lengthy periods of time are not required to obtain embryos relative to larger animal models. Therefore, the chick embryo presents an opportunity to obtain preadipocytes from the earliest stages of adipose tissue development. Subcutaneous adipose tissue becomes visible in the chick around embryonic day 12 (E12) as a clearly defined depot located around the thigh. This depot is enriched in highly proliferative preadipocytes that actively undergo differentiation under developmental cues to form mature adipocytes6,7. The process of adipogenic differentiation is comparable between chickens and humans. Therefore, preadipocytes isolated from chick embryos can be used as a dual-purpose model for studies relevant to humans and poultry. However, the yield of preadipocytes declines with aging as cells grows into mature adipocytes5.
The present protocol optimizes the isolation of preadipocytes from adipose tissue during the stage (E16-E18) at which adipogenic differentiation and adipocyte hypertrophy are at their peak in broiler chick embryos8. This procedure can assess the effects of factors to which the developing embryo is exposed in ovo, such as the hen diet, on adipocyte development and adipogenic potential ex vivo. It can also test the impact of various manipulations (e.g., hypoxia, nutrient additions, pharmacological agonists, and antagonists) on adipogenesis or the various 'omes (e.g., transcriptome, metabolome, methylome) of adipocyte progenitors. As a representation of the earliest stage of adipose formation, cells obtained using this protocol are valuable models for studies relevant to poultry and humans.
All animal procedures were approved by the University of Tennessee Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee. Freshly fertilized commercial broiler eggs (Cobb 500) were obtained from a local hatchery. Eggs were incubated at 38 °C with 60% relative humidity until dissections at embryonic days 16-18 (E16-E18). Adipose tissue was collected from the subcutaneous (femoral) depot.
1. Preparation for isolation and culture
2. Adipose tissue collection and digestion
3. Seeding and culture of preadipocytes
4. Subculturing and cryopreservation
5. Adipogenic differentiation
NOTE: 2% gelatin-coated plates can be used to enhance cell adhesion.
6. Assessing adipogenesis
Primary preadipocytes are morphologically similar to fibroblasts, with irregular, star-like shapes and a central nucleus (Figure 2A-C). The cells readily adhere to tissue culture plastic and begin to proliferate soon after attachment. They rapidly differentiate and accumulate lipid droplets (Figure 3D) when provided with fatty acids in the media. The viability (98%, based on dye exclusion) reported in the isolations represented ...
Although several well-described protocols have reported the isolation of preadipocytes14,15,16,17, isolation for embryonic preadipocytes has been optimized, which can be used for functional analyses of early life fat growth and development in broiler chicks. This protocol yields high viability embryonic adipocyte progenitors with high differentiation potential. Moreover, the presented procedure...
The authors have nothing to disclose.
The authors thank UT AgResearch and the Department of Animal Science for supporting and optimizing this protocol. This work was funded by USDA grant.
Name | Company | Catalog Number | Comments |
1 mL Pipette | Eppendorf | Z683825 | Single Channel Pipette, 100 - 1000 µL |
1 mL Pipette Tip | Fisher Scientific | 02-707-402 | |
100% Isopropanol | Fisher Scientific | A426P4 | |
1x PBS | Gibco | 10010023 | |
25 mL Flask | Pyrex | 4980-25 | |
37% Formaldehyde | Fisher Scientific | F75P-1GAL | |
6-Well Plate | Falcon | 353046 | Tissue Culture-treated |
96-Well Assay Plate | Costar | 3632 | |
96-Well Plate, Black Bottom | Costar | 3603 | Tissue Culture-treated |
AdipoRed | Lonza | PT-7009 | |
Amphotericin B | Gibco | 15290026 | |
Bench Top Wiper (Kimtechwiper) | Kimberly-Clark | 34155 | |
Betadine | Up & Up | NDC 1167300334 | 20% Working Solution |
Cell Counter | Corning | 6749 | |
Cell Strainer, 40 µm | SPL | 93040 | |
Centrifugaton | Eppendorf | 5702 | |
Chicken Serum | Gibco | 16110082 | |
Conical Centrifuge Tubes, 15 mL | VWR | 10025-690 | |
Conical Centrifuge Tubes, 50 mL | Falcon | 352098 | |
Cryovial | Nunc | 343958 | |
Curved Forceps, 100 mm | Roboz Surgical | RS-5137 | |
Curved Surgical Scissors, 115 mm | Roboz Surgical | RS-6839 | |
Distilled Water | Millipore | SYNSV0000 | Despensed as needed |
DMEM/F12 | HyClone | SH30023.01 | |
DMSO | Sigma | D2650 | |
Ethanol | Decon Labs | 2701 | 70% Working Solution |
Fetal Bovine Serum (FBS) | Gibco | 10437028 | |
Fluorescent Microscope | EVOS | M7000 | |
Fluorescent Plate Reader | Biotek | Synergy H1 | |
Foil | Reynolds | Reynolds Wrap Heavy Duty Aluminum Foil, 125 SQ. FT. | |
Freezing Container | Thermo Scientific | 5100-0001 | |
Gelatin | Millipore | 4055 | 2% Working Solution |
Hematocytometer (Counting Chamber) | Corning | 480200 | 0.1 mm deep |
Incubator | Fisher Scientific | 6845 | |
Instrument Sterilizer | VWR | B1205 | |
Linoleic Acid-Oleic Acid-Albumin | Sigma | L9655 | 1x Working Solution |
Microscope | Evos | AMEX1000 | |
Multi-Channel Pipette | Thermo Scientific | 4661070 | 12-Channel Pipetters, 30 - 300 µL |
Na2HPO4 | Sigma | S-7907 | |
NaH2PO4 | Sigma | S-3139 | |
NucBlue | Invitrogen | R37605 | |
Oil Red O | Sigma | O-0625 | |
Orbital Shaker | IKA | KS130BS1 | |
Paper Towel | Tork | RK8002 | |
Parafilm | Parafilm M | PM996 | |
Penicillin/Steptomycin (P/S) | Gibco | 15140122 | 1x Working Solution |
Petri dishes, 100 mm | Falcon | 351029 | |
Petri dishes, 60 mm | Falcon | 351007 | |
Plate Shaker | VWR | 200 | |
RBC Lysis Buffer | Roche | 11814389001 | |
Reagent Reservior | VWR | 89094-680 | |
Small Beaker, 100 mL | Pyrex | 1000-100 | |
Spectrophotometer Plate Reader | Biotek | Synergy H1 | |
Sterile Gauze | McKesson | 762703 | |
Straight Forceps, 120 mm | Roboz Surgical | RS-4960 | |
Straight Scissors, 140 mm | Roboz Surgical | RS-6762 | |
T-25 Flask | Corning | 430639 | Tissue Culture-treated |
Tissue Culture Incubator | Thermo Scientific | 50144906 | |
Tissue Strainer, 250 µm | Pierce | 87791 | |
Trypan Blue Stain | Gibco | 15250061 | |
Trypsin | Gibco | 15400054 | 0.1% Working Solution |
Tweezers, 110 mm | Roboz Surgical | RS-5035 | |
Type 1 Collagenase | Gibco | 17100017 | |
Water Bath | Fisher Scientific | 15-462-10 | |
Whatman Grade 1 Filter Paper | Whatman | 1001-110 |
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