Preliminary Single-Cell RNA-Sequencing Analysis Uncovers Adipocyte Heterogeneity in Lipedema.
Andrea PaganiDominik DuscherSally KempaMojtaba GhodsLukas PrantlPublished in: Cells (2024)
Background : Despite its increasing incidence and prevalence throughout Western countries, lipedema continues to be a very enigmatic disease, often misunderstood or misdiagnosed by the medical community and with an intrinsic pathology that is difficult to trace. The nature of lipedemic tissue is one of hypertrophic adipocytes and poor tissue turnover. So far, there are no identified pathways responsible, and little is known about the cell populations of lipedemic fat. Methods : Adipose tissue samples were collected from affected areas of both lipedema and healthy participants. For single-cell RNA sequencing analysis, the samples were dissociated into single-cell suspensions using enzymatic digestion and then encapsulated into nanoliter-sized droplets containing barcoded beads. Within each droplet, cellular mRNA was converted into complementary DNA. Complementary DNA molecules were then amplified for downstream analysis. Results : The single-cell RNA-sequencing analysis revealed three distinct adipocyte populations at play in lipedema. These populations have unique gene signatures which can be characterized as a lipid generating adipocyte, a disease catalyst adipocyte, and a lipedemic adipocyte. Conclusions : The single-cell RNA sequencing of lipedemic tissue samples highlights a triad of distinct adipocyte subpopulations, each characterized by unique gene signatures and functional roles. The interplay between these adipocyte subtypes offers promising insights into the complex pathophysiology of lipedema.
Keyphrases
- single cell
- adipose tissue
- rna seq
- insulin resistance
- high throughput
- fatty acid
- high fat diet
- healthcare
- genome wide
- stem cells
- mental health
- south africa
- copy number
- nitric oxide
- risk assessment
- bone marrow
- genetic diversity
- hydrogen peroxide
- binding protein
- heavy metals
- single molecule
- room temperature
- cell free
- bone mineral density