This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (82130012 and 81830010) and the Nurture projects for basic research of Shanghai Chest Hospital (Grant Number: 2022YNJCQ03).

The animal protocols were approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee at Shanghai Chest Hospital affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine (approval number: KS23010) and were in compliance with relevant ethical regulations. Male and female C57BL/6 mice aged 4-8 weeks are to be preferred for this experiment.
1. Preparation of surgical tools, buffers, and culture media
<ol>
	<li>Autoclave surgical tools (e.g., surgical scissors and standard forceps) at 121 &#176;C for 30 min. Disinfect microsurgical instruments with 75% alcohol.</li>
	<li>Prepare sterile phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) supplemented with 1% v/v penicillin-streptomycin and another 10 mL of PBS supplemented with 10% v/v penicillin-streptomycin. 
	NOTE: In the following sections, if not specifically mentioned, PBS refers to regular sterile PBS.</li>
	<li>Prepare Krebs Ringer HEPES BSA buffer: 1% bovine serum albumin (BSA), 20 mM HEPES dissolved in Krebs Ringer solution.</li>
	<li>Prepare fresh digestion solution: type 1 collagenase (1 mg/mL) and dispase II (4 mg/mL) dissolved in Krebs Ringer HEPES BSA buffer. Sterilize the solution using a 0.2 &#181;m filter.</li>
	<li>Prepare a collagen-coated 12-well plate.
	<ol>
		<li>Dilute the collagen solution (1 mg/mL) with sterile deionized water to the concentration of 40 &#181;g/mL. Add 1 mL of the diluted collagen solution on the surface of each well to achieve a concentration of 6-10 &#181;g/cm2. Incubate the coating for 1 h at room temperature.</li>
		<li>Remove the remaining solution and rinse each well 2x with 1 mL of PBS. Use the plate immediately, or air dry the plate in a class II laminar flow hood and store the coated plate at 2-8 &#176;C. When storing, seal the coated plates with parafilm.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Prepare culture medium: high-glucose Dulbecco&#39;s-Modified Eagles Medium (DMEM), 10% fetal bovine serum (FBS), 1% v/v penicillin-streptomycin. Keep at 4 &#176;C for up to 2 weeks.</li>
	<li>Prepare lipogenic induction medium: high-glucose DMEM, 10% FBS, 1% v/v penicillin-streptomycin, 1 nM triiodothyronine, 1 &#181;M rosiglitazone, 1 &#181;M insulin, 0.5 mM 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine (IBMX), and 1 &#181;M dexamethasone. Keep at 4 &#176;C for up to 2 weeks.</li>
	<li>Prepare maintenance medium: high-glucose DMEM, 10% FBS, 1% v/v penicillin-streptomycin, 1 nM triiodothyronine, 1 &#181;M rosiglitazone, and 1 &#181;M insulin. Keep at 4 &#176;C for up to 2 weeks.</li>
</ol>
2. Dissection and isolation of perivascular adipose tissue (PVAT)
<ol>
	<li>Euthanize the mouse by cervical dislocation under 2% isoflurane anesthesia or with carbon dioxide overdose. Spray with 75% alcohol for skin disinfection.</li>
	<li>Place the mouse in a supine position (facing upward).</li>
	<li>Lift the skin, make a small incision, and bluntly separate the skin and abdominal muscles with surgical scissors along the ventral midline from the pelvis to the neck. Expose the heart and lungs by cutting the diaphragm and ribs along both sides of the midline.</li>
	<li>Carefully remove the liver, spleen, bowels, and kidney. Avoid cutting the intestinal wall.</li>
	<li>Remove the lungs and esophagus.</li>
	<li>Gently lift the heart with forceps in one hand and separate the aorta from the spine with surgical scissors in the other hand. Then, place the heart and aorta in a 60 mm Petri dish with PBS containing 1% v/v penicillin-streptomycin.</li>
	<li>Remove microsurgical forceps and microsurgical scissors from alcohol and rinse in 25 mL of PBS to remove the excess alcohol. Under a stereo microscope, remove the thymus and other tissue from the heart and aorta, then remove the heart, leaving the aorta with the PVATs.</li>
	<li>Transfer the aorta with the PVATs to a clean 60 mm Petri dish with PBS containing 1% v/v penicillin-streptomycin.</li>
	<li>Use microsurgical forceps to strip PVATs, with one pair of forceps fixing the aorta and the other pulling off the adipose tissue. Remove the vasculature tissue as much as possible while minimizing damage to the perivascular adipose tissue.</li>
	<li>Collect the PVAT surrounding the thoracic aorta into the 2 mL microcentrifuge tube containing high-glucose DMEM supplemented with 1% v/v penicillin-streptomycin placed on ice.</li>
</ol>
3. Isolation of stromal vascular fraction (SVF)
<ol>
	<li>Rinse the collected tissues sequentially with PBS containing 10% v/v penicillin-streptomycin and PBS containing 1% v/v penicillin-streptomycin. 
	NOTE: From this step onwards, all experiments must be carried out under sterile conditions in a class II laminar flow hood.</li>
	<li>Transfer the tissues to a sterile 60 mm Petri dish, add 200 &#181;L of digestion solution, and mince them into 1 mm3 pieces using sterile scissors.</li>
	<li>Transfer the mix to a 15 mL centrifuge tube using a plastic pipette tip, the end broadened by a sterile scissor cut, and add 6 mL of digestion solution to start the digestion reaction. 
	NOTE: One digestion reaction (3 mL of digestion solution) is sufficient for PVAT depots from six mice.</li>
	<li>Incubate the tissues at 37 &#176;C in an incubator with an orbital shaker (150 rpm frequency for effective mixing) for 30-45 min. Tie the tubes flat on a rack to make the tubes shake horizontally. Shake up and down vigorously by hand for 10 s every 5-10 min. 
	NOTE: Digestion can be discontinued when a homogeneous, yellowish digestive fluid is seen with no tissue fragments left.</li>
	<li>Strain the digested tissues through a 70 &#181;m cell strainer into a 50 mL centrifuge tube. Rinse the cell strainer with an equal volume of culture medium to maximize cell yield and stop the digestion.</li>
	<li>Transfer the filtrate to a new 15 mL centrifuge tube and centrifuge at 1,800 &#215; g for 10 min. Invert the tube to discard the supernatant and resuspend the pellets in 5 mL of PBS. Centrifuge at 1,800 &#215; g for 5 min.</li>
	<li>Discard the supernatant by inverting the tube and resuspend the pellets in an appropriate volume of culture medium. 
	NOTE: The cell pellets collected from every six mice are resuspended in 1 mL of culture medium and seeded into one well of a 12-well plate.</li>
	<li>Seed the cells into a collagen-coated 12-well plate and incubate at 37 &#176;C in a humid atmosphere with 5% CO2 overnight.</li>
	<li>On the next day, aspirate the culture medium, wash the cells with prewarmed (37 &#176;C) PBS containing 1% v/v penicillin-streptomycin to remove cell debris and red blood cells, and add back 1 mL of fresh culture medium each well.</li>
</ol>
4. Adipogenic induction of SVF-derived preadipocytes from periaortic adipose tissue
<ol>
	<li>Change the culture medium every other day until the cells reach ~60-70% confluence. 
	NOTE: It usually takes 3-4 days for the cells to reach 60-70% confluence.</li>
	<li>When the cells reach 60-70% confluence, aspirate the culture medium and replace it with brown adipogenic induction medium. Consider the day of induction of adipogenic differentiation as day 0 of differentiation.</li>
	<li>After 72 h (day 3 of differentiation), refresh the medium with maintenance medium. Change the maintenance medium every 2 days until the cells are used for experiments.</li>
	<li>Analyze the adipogenic cells in an appropriate way, such as Oil Red O staining14 and western blotting15.</li>
</ol>

Culturing Preadipocytes Isolated from Murine Perivascular Adipose Tissue

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K., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Perivascular+adipose+tissue+in+vascular+function+and+disease:+a+review+of+current+research+and+animal+models.">Perivascular adipose tissue in vascular function and disease: a review of current research and animal models.</a> Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology. 34 (8), 1621-1630 (2014).</li><li>Ferrero, R., Rainer, P., Deplancke, B. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Toward+a+consensus+view+of+mammalian+adipocyte+stem+and+progenitor+cell+heterogeneity.">Toward a consensus view of mammalian adipocyte stem and progenitor cell heterogeneity.</a> Trends in Cell Biology. 30 (12), 937-950 (2020).</li><li>Angueira, A. R., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Defining+the+lineage+of+thermogenic+perivascular+adipose+tissue.">Defining the lineage of thermogenic perivascular adipose tissue.</a> Nature Metabolism. 3 (4), 469-484 (2021).</li><li>Boucher, J. M., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Rab27a+regulates+human+perivascular+adipose+progenitor+cell+differentiation.">Rab27a regulates human perivascular adipose progenitor cell differentiation.</a> Cardiovascular Drugs and Therapy. 32 (5), 519-530 (2018).</li><li>Saxton, S. N., Withers, S. B., Heagerty, A. 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The authors have no conflicts of interest, financial or otherwise, to declare.

We propose a practical and feasible approach for the isolation and adipogenic induction of SVF-derived preadipocytes from mouse periaortic adipose tissue. The advantages of this protocol are that it is simple and economical. Adequate numbers of mice are critical for successful isolation, as insufficient tissue can result in low SVF density and poor growth state, ultimately affecting lipogenic efficiency. Additionally, mouse age is an important factor to consider as the adipogenic potential of SVF decreases with age. Rapi...

Perivascular adipose tissue (PVAT), a perivascular structure composed of a mixture of mature adipocytes and a stromal vascular fraction (SVF), is believed to interact with the adjacent vessel wall via its secretome paracrineally1. As a critical regulator of vascular homeostasis, PVAT dysfunction is implicated in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases2,3,4. The SVF of adipocyte tissue consists of several expected cell populations, including endothelial cells, immune cells, mesothelium cells, neuronal cells, and adipose stem and progenitor cells (ASPCs)5,6. It is well known that ASPCs residing in the SVF of adipose tissue can give rise to mature adipocytes5. SVF is inferred to be a critical source of mature adipocytes in PVAT. Several studies have shown that PVAT-SVF can differentiate into mature adipocytes under specific induction conditions6,7,8.
Currently, there are two isolation systems for isolating SVF from adipose tissue, one is enzymatic digestion and the other is non-enzymatic9. Enzymatic methods typically result in a higher yield of nucleated progenitor cells10. To date, the benefits of SVF in promoting vascular regeneration and neovascularization in wound healing, urogenital, and cardiovascular diseases have been widely demonstrated11, especially in dermatology and plastic surgery12,13. However, the clinical application prospects of PVAT-derived SVF have not been well explored, which may be attributed to the lack of a standardized method for the isolation of SVF from PVAT. The objective of this protocol is to establish a standardized approach for the isolation, culture, and adipogenic induction of SVF-derived preadipocytes from mouse PVAT surrounding the thoracic aorta, enabling further investigation of PVAT function. This protocol optimizes tissue processing and cell differentiation techniques for culturing periaortic adipocytes obtained from young mice.

<table border="1" fo:keep-together.within-page="1" fo:keep-with-next.within-page="always">
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>0.2 &#956;m syringe filters</td>
			<td>PALL</td>
			<td>4612</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>12-well plate&#160;</td>
			<td>Labselect</td>
			<td>11210</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>15 mL centrifuge tube</td>
			<td>Labserv</td>
			<td>310109003</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>3,3&#39;,5-triiodo-L-thyronine (T3)</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>T-2877</td>
			<td>1 nM</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>50 mL centrifuge tube</td>
			<td>Labselect</td>
			<td>CT-002-50A</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>anti-adiponectin</td>
			<td>Abcam</td>
			<td>ab22554</td>
			<td>1:1,000 working concentration</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>anti-COX IV</td>
			<td>CST</td>
			<td>4850</td>
			<td>1:1,000 working concentration</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>anti-FABP4</td>
			<td>CST</td>
			<td>2120</td>
			<td>1:1,000 working concentration</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>anti-PGC1&#945;</td>
			<td>Abcam</td>
			<td>ab191838</td>
			<td>1:1,000 working concentration</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>anti-PPAR&#947;</td>
			<td>Invitrogen</td>
			<td>MA5-14889</td>
			<td>1:1,000 working concentration</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>anti-UCP1</td>
			<td>Abcam</td>
			<td>ab10983</td>
			<td>1:1,000 working concentration</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>anti-&#945;-Actinin</td>
			<td>CST</td>
			<td>6487</td>
			<td>1:1,000 working concentration</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>BSA</td>
			<td>Beyotime</td>
			<td>ST023-200g</td>
			<td>1%</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>C57BL/6 mice aged 4-8 weeks of both sexes</td>
			<td>Shanghai Model Organisms Center, Inc.</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Cell Strainer 70 &#181;m, nylon</td>
			<td>Falcon</td>
			<td>352350</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Collagen from calf skin</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>C8919</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Collagenase, Type 1</td>
			<td>Worthington</td>
			<td>LS004196</td>
			<td>1 mg/mL</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Dexamethasone</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>D1756</td>
			<td>1 &#956;M</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Dispase II</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>D4693-1G</td>
			<td>4 mg/mL</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Fetal bovine serum&#160;</td>
			<td>Gibco</td>
			<td>16000-044</td>
			<td>10%</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>HEPES</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>H4034-25G</td>
			<td>20 mM</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>High glucose DMEM</td>
			<td>Hyclone</td>
			<td>SH30022.01</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>IBMX&#160;</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>I7018</td>
			<td>0.5 mM</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Incubator with orbital shaker</td>
			<td>Shanghai longyue Instrument Eruipment Co.,Ltd.</td>
			<td>LYZ-103B</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Insulin (cattle)&#160;</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>11070-73-8</td>
			<td>1 &#956;M</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Isoflurane</td>
			<td>RWD</td>
			<td>R510-22-10</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Krebs-Ringer&#39;s Solution</td>
			<td>Pricella&#160;</td>
			<td>PB180347</td>
			<td>protect from light&#160;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Microsurgical forceps</td>
			<td>Beyotime</td>
			<td>FS233</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Microsurgical scissor</td>
			<td>Beyotime</td>
			<td>FS217</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Oil Red O&#160;</td>
			<td>Sangon Biotech (Shanghai) Co., Ltd</td>
			<td>A600395-0050</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>PBS (Phosphate-buffered saline)</td>
			<td>Sangon Biotech (Shanghai) Co., Ltd</td>
			<td>B548117-0500</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Penicillin-Streptomycin</td>
			<td>Gibco</td>
			<td>15140122</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Peroxidase AffiniPure Goat Anti-Mouse IgG (H+L)</td>
			<td>Jackson ImmunoResearch&#160;</td>
			<td>115-035-146</td>
			<td>1:5,000 working concentration</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Peroxidase AffiniPure Goat Anti-Rabbit IgG (H+L)</td>
			<td>Jackson ImmunoResearch&#160;</td>
			<td>111-035-144</td>
			<td>1:5,000 working concentration</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Rosiglitazone</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>R2408</td>
			<td>1 &#956;M</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Standard forceps</td>
			<td>Beyotime</td>
			<td>FS225</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Surgical scissor</td>
			<td>Beyotime</td>
			<td>FS001</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

isolation, culture, and adipogenic induction of stromal vascular fraction-derived preadipocytes from mouse periaortic adipose tissue

Perivascular adipose tissue (PVAT) is an adipose tissue depot that surrounds blood vessels and exhibits the phenotypes of white, beige, and brown adipocytes. Recent discoveries have shed light on the central role of PVAT in regulating vascular homeostasis and participating in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases. A comprehensive understanding of PVAT properties and regulation is of great importance for the development of future therapies. Primary cultures of periaortic adipocytes are valuable for studying PVAT function and the crosstalk between periaortic adipocytes and vascular cells. This paper presents an economical and feasible protocol for the isolation, culture, and adipogenic induction of stromal vascular fraction-derived preadipocytes from mouse periaortic adipose tissue, which can be useful for modeling adipogenesis or lipogenesis in vitro. The protocol outlines tissue processing and cell differentiation for culturing periaortic adipocytes from young mice. This protocol will provide the technological cornerstone at the bench side for the investigation of PVAT function.

Using this protocol described above, we carefully isolated PVATs surrounding mouse thoracic aortas (Figure 1A-D). After washing and mincing the PVATs into small pieces using sterile scissors (Figure 1E,F), tissue fragments were digested in a digestion solution containing type 1 collagenase (1 mg/mL) and dispase II (4 mg/mL) and incubated at 37 &#176;C on a shaker for 30-45 min (Figure 1G</st...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about The Significance of Isolation, Culture, and Adipogenic Induction of SVF-Derived Preadipocytes from Mouse Perivascular Adipose Tissue at JoVE.com

Author Spotlight: The Significance of Isolation, Culture, and Adipogenic Induction of SVF-Derived Preadipocytes from Mouse Perivascular Adipose Tissue 

Here, we describe the isolation, culture, and adipogenic induction of stromal vascular fraction-derived preadipocytes from mouse periaortic adipose tissue, allowing for the study of perivascular adipose tissue function and its relationship with vascular cells.

Isolation, Culture, and Adipogenic Induction of Stromal Vascular Fraction-derived Preadipocytes from Mouse Periaortic Adipose Tissue

Perivascular adipose tissue (PVAT) is an adipose tissue depot that surrounds blood vessels and exhibits the phenotypes of white, beige, and brown ...

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1.9K Views.  Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine. Here, we describe the isolation, culture, and adipogenic induction of stromal vascular fraction-derived preadipocytes from mouse periaortic adipose tissue, allowing for the study of perivascular adipose tissue function and its relationship with vascular cells.

Video: Author Spotlight: The Significance of Isolation, Culture, and Adipogenic Induction of SVF-Derived Preadipocytes from Mouse Perivascular Adipose Tissue 

Isolation and Differentiation of Stromal Vascular Cells to Beige/Brite Cells

Brown adipocytes have the ability to uncouple the respiratory chain in mitochondria and dissipate chemical energy as heat. Development of UCP1-positive brown adipocytes in white adipose tissues (so called beige or brite cells) is highly induced by a variety of environmental cues such as chronic cold exposure or by PPAR&gamma; agonists, therefore, this cell type has potential as a therapeutic target for obesity treatment. Although most immortalized adipocyte lines cannot recapitulate the process of "browning" of white fat in culture, primary adipocytes isolated from stromal vascular fraction in subcutaneous white adipose tissue (WAT) provide a reliable cellular system to study the molecular control of beige/brite cell development. Here we describe a protocol for effective isolation of primary preadipocytes and for inducing differentiation to beige/brite cells in culture. The browning effect can be assessed by the expression of brown fat-selective markers such as UCP1.

Primary white preadipocytes isolated from white adipose tissues in mice can be differentiated into beige/brite cells. Presented here is a reliable cellular model system to study the molecular regulation of "browning" of white fat.

Brown adipocytes have the ability to uncouple the  respiratory chain in mitochondria and dissipate chemical energy as heat.  Development of UCP1-positive ...

Isolation and Primary Culture of Mouse Aortic Endothelial Cells

The vascular endothelium is essential to normal vascular homeostasis. Its dysfunction participates in various cardiovascular disorders. The mouse is an important model for cardiovascular disease research. This study demonstrates a simple method to isolate and culture endothelial cells from the mouse aorta without any special equipment. To isolate endothelial cells, the thoracic aorta is quickly removed from the mouse body, and the attached adipose tissue and connective tissue are removed from the aorta. The aorta is cut into 1 mm rings. Each aortic ring is opened and seeded onto a growth factor reduced matrix with the endothelium facing down. The segments are cultured in endothelial cell growth medium for about 4 days. The endothelial sprouting starts as early as day 2. The segments are then removed and the cells are cultured continually until they reach confluence. The endothelial cells are harvested using neutral proteinase and cultured in endothelial cell growth medium for another two passages before being used for experiments. Immunofluorescence staining indicated that after the second passage the majority of cells were double positive for Dil-ac-LDL uptake, Lectin binding, and CD31 staining, the typical characteristics of endothelial cells. It is suggested that cells at the second to third passages are suitable for in vitro and in vivo experiments to study the endothelial biology. Our protocol provides an effective means of identifying specific cellular and molecular mechanisms in endothelial cell physiopathology.

The vascular endothelial cells play a significant role in many important cardiovascular disorders. This article describes a simple method to isolate and expand endothelial cells from the mouse aorta without using any special equipment. Our protocol provides an effective means of identifying mechanisms in endothelial cell physiopathology.

The vascular endothelium is essential to normal vascular homeostasis. Its dysfunction participates in various cardiovascular disorders. The mouse is an ...

Isolation and Culture of Primary Mouse Keratinocytes from Neonatal and Adult Mouse Skin

The keratinocyte (KC) is the predominant cell type in the epidermis, the outermost layer of the skin. Epidermal KCs play a critical role in providing skin defense by forming an intact skin barrier against environmental insults, such as UVB irradiation or pathogens, and also by initiating an inflammatory response upon those insults. Here we describe methods to isolate KCs from neonatal mouse skin and from adult mouse tail skin. We also describe culturing conditions using defined growth supplements (dGS) in comparison to chelexed fetal bovine serum (cFBS). Functionally, we show that both neonatal and adult KCs are highly responsive to high calcium-induced terminal differentiation, tight junction formation and stratification. Additionally, cultured adult KCs are susceptible to UVB-triggered cell death and can release large amounts of TNF upon UVB irradiation. Together, the methods described here will be useful to researchers for the setup of in vitro models to study epidermal biology in the neonatal mouse and/or the adult mouse.

Epidermal keratinocytes form a functional skin barrier and are positioned at the front line of host defense against external environmental insults. Here we describe methods for isolation and primary culture of epidermal keratinocytes from neonatal and adult mouse skin, and induction of terminal differentiation and UVB-triggered inflammatory response from keratinocytes.

The keratinocyte (KC) is the predominant cell type in the epidermis, the outermost layer of the skin. Epidermal KCs play a critical role in providing skin ...

Isolation and Differentiation of Primary White and Brown Preadipocytes from Newborn Mice

The understanding of the mechanisms underlying adipocyte differentiation and function has greatly benefited from the use of immortalized white preadipocyte cell lines. These cultured cell lines, however, have limitations. They do not fully capture the diverse functional spectrum of the heterogenous adipocyte populations that are now known to exist within white adipose depots. To provide a more physiologically relevant model to study the complexity of white adipose tissue, a protocol has been developed and optimized to enable simultaneous isolation of primary white and brown adipocyte progenitors from newborn mice, their rapid expansion in culture, and their differentiation in vitro into mature, fully functional adipocytes. The primary advantage of isolating primary cells from newborn, rather than adult mice, is that the adipose depots are actively developing and are, therefore, a rich source of proliferating preadipocytes. Primary preadipocytes isolated using this protocol differentiate rapidly upon reaching confluence and become fully mature in 4-5 days, a temporal window that accurately reflects the appearance of developed fat pads in newborn mice. Primary cultures prepared using this strategy can be expanded and studied with high reproducibility, making them suitable for genetic and phenotypic screens and enabling the study of the cell-autonomous adipocyte phenotypes of genetic mouse models. This protocol offers a simple, rapid, and inexpensive approach to study the complexity of adipose tissue in vitro.

This report describes a protocol for the simultaneous isolation of primary brown and white preadipocytes from newborn mice. Isolated cells can be grown in culture and induced to differentiate into fully mature white and brown adipocytes. The method enables genetic, molecular, and functional characterization of primary fat cells in culture.

The understanding of the mechanisms underlying adipocyte differentiation and function has greatly benefited from the use of immortalized white ...

Isolation and Identification of Vascular Endothelial Cells from Distinct Adipose Depots for Downstream Applications

Vascular endothelial cells lining the wall of the vascular system play important roles in a variety of physiological processes, including vascular tone regulation, barrier functions, and angiogenesis. Endothelial cell dysfunction is a hallmark predictor and major driver for the progression of severe cardiovascular diseases, yet the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. The ability to isolate and perform analyses on endothelial cells from various vascular beds in their native form will give insight into the processes of cardiovascular disease. This protocol presents the procedure for the dissection of mouse subcutaneous and mesenteric adipose tissues, followed by isolation of their respective arterial vasculature. The isolated arteries are then digested using a specific cocktail of digestive enzymes focused on liberating functionally viable endothelial cells. The digested tissue is assessed by flow cytometry analysis using CD31+/CD45&#8722; cells as markers for positive endothelial cell identification. Cells can be sorted for immediate downstream functional assays or used to generate primary cell lines. The technique of isolating and digesting arteries from different vascular beds will provide options for researchers to evaluate freshly isolated vascular cells&#160;from arteries of interest and allow them to perform a wide range of functional tests on specific cell types.

This protocol details a method for the dissection of mouse adipose depots and the isolation and digestion of respective arteries to liberate and then identify the endothelial cell population. Freshly isolated cells used in downstream applications will advance the understanding of vascular cell biology and the mechanisms of vascular dysfunction.

Vascular endothelial cells lining the wall of the vascular system play important roles in a variety of physiological processes, including vascular tone ...

Differentiation and Imaging of Brown Adipocytes from the Stromal Vascular Fraction of Interscapular Adipose Tissue from Newborn Mice

Brown adipose tissue (BAT) is only present in mammals and has a thermogenic function. Brown adipocytes are characterized by a multilocular cytoplasm with multiple lipid droplets, a central nucleus, a high mitochondrial content, and the expression of uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1). BAT has been proposed as a potential therapeutic target for obesity and its associated metabolic disorders due to its ability to dissipate metabolic energy as heat. To investigate BAT function and regulation, brown adipocyte culturing is indispensable. The present protocol optimizes tissue processing and cell differentiation for culturing brown adipocytes from newborn mice. Additionally, procedures for the imaging of differentiated adipocytes with both confocal immunofluorescence and transmission electron microscopy are shown. In the brown adipocytes differentiated with the techniques described herein, the major defining features of classical BAT are preserved, including high UCP1 levels, increased mitochondrial mass, and very close physical contact between the lipid droplets and mitochondria, making this method a valuable tool for BAT studies.

Preadipocytes are isolated from the stromal vascular fraction of interscapular brown adipose tissue from newborn mice and differentiated into cells that accumulate lipid droplets, express molecular markers, and show the mitochondrial morphology of mature brown adipocytes. These cells are further analyzed by immunofluorescence and transmission electron microscopy.

Brown adipose tissue (BAT) is only present in mammals and has a thermogenic function. Brown adipocytes are characterized by a multilocular cytoplasm with ...

Measuring the Rate of Lipolysis in Ex Vivo Murine Adipose Tissue and Primary Preadipocytes Differentiated In Vitro

Adipocytes store energy in the form of triglycerides in lipid droplets. This energy can be mobilized via lipolysis, where the fatty acid side chains are sequentially cleaved from the glycerol backbone, resulting in the release of free fatty acids and glycerol. Due to the low expression of glycerol kinase in white adipocytes, glycerol re-uptake rates are negligible, while fatty acid re-uptake is dictated by the fatty acid binding capacity of media components such as albumin. Both glycerol and fatty acid release into media can be quantified by colorimetric assays to determine the lipolytic rate. By measuring these factors at multiple time points, one can determine the linear rate of lipolysis with high confidence. Here, we provide a detailed protocol for the measurement of lipolysis in in vitro differentiated adipocytes and ex vivo adipose tissue from mice. This protocol may also be optimized for other preadipocyte cell lines or adipose tissue from other organisms; considerations and optimization parameters are discussed. This protocol is designed to be useful in determining and comparing the rate of adipocyte lipolysis between mouse models and treatments.

Measuring the Rate of Lipolysis in Ex Vivo Murine Adipose Tissue and Primary Preadipocytes Differentiated In Vitro

Triglyceride lipolysis in adipocytes is an important metabolic process resulting in the liberation of free fatty acids and glycerol. Here, we provide a detailed protocol to measure basal and stimulated lipolysis in adipocytes and ex vivo adipose tissue from mice.

Adipocytes store energy in the form of triglycerides in lipid droplets. This energy can be mobilized via lipolysis, where the fatty acid side chains are ...

Adipose Tissue-Derived Stem Cell Isolation and Characterization

Isolation and Identification of Mesenchymal Stem Cells Derived from Adipose Tissue of Sprague Dawley Rats

Adult mesenchymal cells have revolutionized molecular and cell biology in recent decades. They can differentiate into different specialized cell types, in addition to their great capacity for self-renewal, migration, and proliferation. Adipose tissue is one of the least invasive and most accessible sources of mesenchymal cells. It has also been reported to have higher yields compared to other sources, as well as superior immunomodulatory properties. Recently, different procedures for obtaining adult mesenchymal cells from different tissue sources and animal species have been published. After evaluating the criteria of some authors, we standardized a methodology that is applicable to different purposes and easily reproducible. A pool of stromal vascular fraction (SVF) from perirenal and epididymal adipose tissue allowed us to develop primary cultures with optimal morphology and functionality. The cells were observed adhered to the plastic surface for 24 h, and exhibited a fibroblast-like morphology, with prolongations and a tendency to form colonies. Flow cytometry (FC) and immunofluorescence (IF) techniques were used to assess the expression of the membrane markers CD105, CD9, CD63, CD31, and CD34. The ability of adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) to differentiate into the adipogenic lineage was also assessed using a cocktail of factors (4 &#181;M insulin, 0.5 mM 3-methyl-iso-butyl-xanthine, and 1 &#181;M dexamethasone). After 48 h, a gradual loss of fibroblastoid morphology was observed, and at 12 days, the presence of lipid droplets positive to oil red staining was confirmed. In summary, a procedure is proposed to obtain optimal and functional ASC cultures for application in regenerative medicine.

Author Spotlight: Isolation and Identification of Mesenchymal Stem Cells Derived from Adipose Tissue of Sprague Dawley Rats  

This protocol describes a methodology for isolating and identifying adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) from Sprague Dawley rats.

Adult mesenchymal cells have revolutionized molecular and cell biology in recent decades. They can differentiate into different specialized cell types, in ...

Semi-Automated Isolation of Murine White Adipose Tissue

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

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.

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

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.

The in vitro study of white, brown, and beige adipocyte differentiation enables the investigation of cell-autonomous functions of adipocytes and their ...

Primary Culture of Adipose Tissue Derived Stem Cells from Mouse Epididymis

Isolation, In Vitro Expansion, and Characterization of Mesenchymal Stem Cells from Mouse Epididymal Adipose Tissue

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been extensively studied as a new therapeutic approach, mainly to stop exacerbated inflammation due to their potential to modulate the immune response. The MSCs are immune-privileged cells capable of surviving in immunologically incompatible allogeneic transplant recipients based on low expression of class I major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules and in the use of cell-based therapy for allogeneic transplant. These cells can be isolated from several tissues, the most commonly used being the bone marrow and adipose tissues. We provide an easy protocol to isolate, culture, and characterize MSCs from epididymal adipose tissue of mice. The epididymal adipose tissue is surgically excised, physically fragmented, and digested with 0.15% collagenase type II solution. Then, primary adipose tissue-derived stem (ADSCs) cells are cultured and expanded in vitro, and the phenotypic characterization is performed by flow cytometry. We also provide the steps to differentiate the ADSCs into osteogenic, adipogenic, and chondrogenic cells, followed by functional characterization of each cell lineage. The protocol provided here can be used for in vivo and ex vivo experiments, and as an alternative, the adipose-derived stem cells can be used to generate MSCs-like immortalized cells.

Author Spotlight: Advancing Treatment Approaches with Adipose-Derived Stem Cells

The adipose tissue is an excellent source of mesenchymal stem cells. Here, we bring the step-by-step extraction, cultivation, and characterization of adipose tissue-derived stem cells (ADSCs) from Swiss mice epididymal adipose tissue.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been extensively studied as a new therapeutic approach, mainly to stop exacerbated inflammation due to their potential ...