Perivascular Adipocytes in Vascular Disease

Abstract

Perivascular adipocytes residing in the vascular adventitia are recognized as distinct endocrine cells capable of responding to inflammatory stimuli and communicating with the sympathetic nervous system and adjacent blood vessel cells, thereby releasing adipocytokines and other signaling mediators to maintain vascular homeostasis. Perivascular adipocytes exhibit phenotypic heterogeneity (both white and brown adipocytes) and become dysfunctional in conditions, such as diet-induced obesity, thus promoting vascular inflammation, vasoconstriction, and smooth muscle cell proliferation to potentially contribute to the development of vascular diseases, such as atherosclerosis, hypertension, and aortic aneurysms. Although accumulating data have advanced our understanding of the role of perivascular adipocytes in modulating vascular function, their impact on vascular disease, particularly in humans, remains to be fully defined. This brief review will discuss the mechanisms whereby perivascular adipocytes regulate vascular disease, with a particular emphasis on recent findings and current limitations in the field of research.

Keywords: adipocyte; adipokine; inflammation; obesity; vasculopathy.

Figure.. Proposed mechanisms by which PV adipocytes modulate vascular function and disease.

PV adipocytes exhibit significant phenotypic heterogeneity, displaying features of white or brown adipocytes. PV adipocytes become more white-like during DIO, and exercise or brown adipocyte inducers (i.e. cold exposure, β-adrenergic stimulation) may enhance “re-browning” of PV adipocytes to restore protective effects on metabolism and vascular function. PV adipocytes communicate with other cells such as immune cells or nerves in PVAT and with vascular cells by directly transferring adipocytokines, miRNAs, etc. PV: perivascular, PVAT: perivascular adipose tissue, MSC: mesenchymal stem cell, ADRF: adipocyte-derived relaxing factor, TNFα: tumor necrosis factor-α, IL-6: interleukin-6, MCP-1: monocyte chemoattractant protein-1.