Expression of the Adipocyte Progenitor Markers MSCA1 and CD36 is Associated With Adipose Tissue Function in Children

• Published in: The journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism Vol. 107; no. 2; pp. e836 - e851
• Main Authors: Hanschkow, Martha, Boulet, Nathalie, Kempf, Elena, Bouloumié, Anne, Kiess, Wieland, Stein, Robert, Körner, Antje, Landgraf, Kathrin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: US Oxford University Press 01.02.2022; Endocrine Society
• Subjects: Adipocytes; Adipocytes - metabolism; Adipogenesis; Adipose tissue; Adipose tissues; Adolescent; Antigens, Surface; Antigens, Surface - analysis; Antigens, Surface - metabolism; Body fat; C-reactive protein; CD36 antigen; Cell differentiation; Cell proliferation; Child; Child, Preschool; Children; Cross-Sectional Studies; Female; Health aspects; Humans; Hyperplasia; Hypertrophy; Infant; Life Sciences; Male; Mesenchymal stem cells; Obesity; Obesity in children; Online Only; Pediatric Obesity; Pediatric Obesity - physiopathology; Physiological aspects; Stem cell antigen 1; Stem cells; Stroma; Stromal Vascular Fraction; Stromal Vascular Fraction - metabolism; Subcutaneous Fat; Subcutaneous Fat - cytology; Subcutaneous Fat - metabolism; Subcutaneous Fat - physiopathology; Germany; adipose tissue; adipose tissue dysfunction; adipocyte differentiation; children; adipocyte progenitor cells; obesity; ORCiD numbers: 0000-0003-1011-3474 (N Boulet); Boulet; ORCiD numbers: 0000-0003-1011-3474 (N; Landgraf; 0000-0002-6878-6033 (K; 0000-0002-6878-6033 (K Landgraf)
• ISSN: 0021-972X; 1945-7197; 1945-7197
• DOI: 10.1210/clinem/dgab630

Abstract Context MSCA1 (mesenchymal stem cell antigen 1) and CD36 (cluster of differentiation 36) have been described as novel adipocyte progenitor markers in adults with a potential relevance for obesity and adipocyte progenitor function. Objective With the early manifestation of obesity in children and formation of adipose tissue (AT) dysfunction, children provide the opportunity to characterize the function of MSCA1 and CD36 during physiological AT accumulation and with obesity and related disease. Methods We investigated MSCA1 and CD36 expression in adipocytes and stroma vascular fraction (SVF) cells from 133 children of the Leipzig AT Childhood cohort with regard to AT accumulation and biology. In a subsample we analyzed how MSCA1 and CD36 expression is related to adipose progenitor capacities in vitro (ie, proliferation, differentiation and mitochondrial function). Results Both MSCA1 and CD36 are differentially expressed in adipocytes and SVF cells of children. MSCA1 expression is positively correlated to obesity-associated AT dysfunction (ie, adipocyte hypertrophy and serum high-sensitivity C-reactive protein), and high SVF MSCA1 expression is associated with increased mitochondrial respiration in vitro. CD36 expression is not associated with AT dysfunction but SVF CD36 expression is downregulated in children with overweight and obesity and shows a positive association with the differentiation capacity of SVF cells ex vivo and in vitro. Conclusion Both MSCA1 and CD36 are associated with obesity-related alterations in AT of children. In particular, CD36 expression predicts adipogenic potential of SVF cells, indicating a potential role in the regulation of adipocyte hyperplasia and hypertrophy with obesity development in children.