Semi-Automated Isolation of the Stromal Vascular Fraction from Murine White Adipose Tissue Using a Tissue Dissociator

Summary

This protocol describes the semi-automated isolation of the stromal vascular fraction (SVF) from murine adipose tissue to obtain preadipocytes and achieve adipocyte differentiation in vitro. Using a tissue dissociator for collagenase digestion reduces experimental variation and increases reproducibility.

Abstract

The in vitro study of white, brown, and beige adipocyte differentiation enables the investigation of cell-autonomous functions of adipocytes and their mechanisms. Immortalized white preadipocyte cell lines are publicly available and widely used. However, the emergence of beige adipocytes in white adipose tissue in response to external cues is difficult to recapitulate to the full extent using publicly available white adipocyte cell lines. Isolation of the stromal vascular fraction (SVF) from murine adipose tissue is commonly executed to obtain primary preadipocytes and perform adipocyte differentiation. However, mincing and collagenase digestion of adipose tissue by hand can result in experimental variation and is prone to contamination. Here, we present a modified semi-automated protocol that utilizes a tissue dissociator for collagenase digestion to achieve easier isolation of the SVF, with the aim of reducing experimental variation, reducing contamination, and increasing reproducibility. The obtained preadipocytes and differentiated adipocytes can be used for functional and mechanistic analyses.

Introduction

Adipose tissue biology has been attracting ever-increasing attention because of the growing prevalence of obesity and type 2 diabetes globally¹. Adipocytes store excess energy in the form of lipid droplets, which are released upon starvation. Moreover, adipose tissue maintains systemic energy homeostasis by serving as an endocrine organ and communicating with other tissues^2,3. Intriguingly, both excess adipose tissue (obesity) and adipose loss (lipodystrophy) are linked to insulin resistance and diabetes¹. Adipocytes are divided into three types: white, brown, an....

Protocol

All animal experiments described in this protocol were approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) of the University of Tokyo and performed according to the institutional guidelines of the University of Tokyo.

1. Preparation of enzyme solution and medium

1. Put both sides of inguinal white adipose tissue (right and left side, approximately 150 mg) from a 7-8-week-old mouse and 2.5 mL of enzyme solution into tube C of the dissociator.
2. .......

Discussion

Here, we described a protocol for isolation of the SVF from murine adipose tissue to obtain preadipocytes and perform adipocyte differentiation in vitro. The use of a tissue dissociator for collagenase digestion decreased experimental variation, decreased the risk of contamination, and increased reproducibility. While this procedure is a critical step within the presented protocol, the process is highly automated and optimization is not needed. However, depending on the mouse age and adipose tissue depot, optimi.......

Materials

Name	Company	Catalog Number	Comments
100 mm dish	Corning	430167
12 well plate	Corning	3513
60 mm dish	IWAKI	3010-060
Adipose Tissue Dissociation Kit, mouse and rat	Miltenyi Biotec	130-105-808	contents: Enzyme D, Enzyme R, Enzyme A and Buffer A
Cell strainer 70 µm	BD falcon	#352350
Collagen coated dishes, 100 mm	BD	#356450
Collagen coated dishes, 60 mm	BD	#354401
Collagen I Coat Microplate 6 well	IWAKI	4810-010
Dexamethasone	Wako	041-18861
Dissecting Forceps	N/A	N/A	autoclave before use
Dissecting Scissors, blunt/sharp	N/A	N/A	autoclave before use
Dissecting Scissors, sharp/sharp	N/A	N/A	autoclave before use
DMEM/F-12, GlutaMAX supplement	Gibco	10565-042
Fetal Bovine Serum (FBS)	N/A	N/A
gentleMACS C Tubes	Milteny Biotec	130-093-237
gentleMACSOcto Dissociator with Heaters	Miltenyi Biotec	130-096-427
Humulin R Injection U-100	Eli Lilly	872492
Indomethacin	Sigma	I7378-5G
Isobutylmethylxanthine (IBMX)	Sigma	17018-1G
Lipofectamine 2000	Life Technologies	11668-019
Neomycin Sulfate	Fujifilm	146-08871
Opti-MEM	Invitrogen	31985-062
pBABE-neo largeTcDNA (SV40)	Add gene	#1780
PBS tablets	Takara	T900
Platinum-E (Plat-E) Retroviral Packaging Cell Line	cell biolab	RV-101
Polybrene	Nacalai Tesque	12996-81
Power Sybr Green Master Mix	Applied Biosystems	4367659
ReverTra Ace qPCR RT Master Mix	TOYOBO	#FSQ-201
RNeasy Mini Kit (250)	QIAGEN	74106
Rosiglitazone	Wako	180-02653
T3	Sigma	T2877-100mg
Trypsin-EDTA (0.05%)	Gibco	25200-056