Chronic high-fat diet impairs collecting lymphatic vessel function in mice

PLoS One. 2014 Apr 8;9(4):e94713. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0094713. eCollection 2014.

Abstract

Lymphatic vessels play an essential role in intestinal lipid uptake, and impairment of lymphatic vessel function leads to enhanced adipose tissue accumulation in patients with lymphedema and in genetic mouse models of lymphatic dysfunction. However, the effects of obesity on lymphatic function have been poorly studied. We investigated if and how adipose tissue accumulation influences lymphatic function. Using a lymphatic specific tracer, we performed in vivo near-infrared (NIR) imaging to assess the function of collecting lymphatic vessels in mice fed normal chow or high-fat diet (HFD). Histological and whole mount analyses were performed to investigate the morphological changes in initial and the collecting lymphatic vessels. HFD was associated with impaired collecting lymphatic vessel function, as evidenced by reduced frequency of contractions and diminished response to mechanostimulation. Moreover, we found a significant negative correlation between collecting lymphatic vessel function and body weight. Whole mount analyses showed an enlargement of contractile collecting lymphatic vessels of the hind limb. In K14-VEGF-C mice, HFD resulted in a reduced spreading of the tracer within dermal lymphatic vessels. These findings indicate that adipose tissue expansion due to HFD leads to a functional impairment of the lymphatic vasculature, predominantly in collecting lymphatic vessels.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adipose Tissue / pathology
  • Animals
  • Body Weight
  • Diet, High-Fat / adverse effects*
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Lymphatic Vessels / pathology*
  • Lymphatic Vessels / physiopathology*
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Transgenic
  • Obesity / etiology
  • Obesity / pathology
  • Obesity / physiopathology
  • Skin / metabolism
  • Skin / pathology
  • Time Factors
  • Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor C / genetics

Substances

  • Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor C

Grants and funding

This work was supported by Swiss National Science Foundation grants 31003A_130627 and 310030B_137087, Advanced European Research Council Grant LYVICAM, and Fondation Leducq Transatlantic Networks of Excellence in Cardiovascular Research (to MD). KSB received a research fellowship from the German Research Foundation (DFG: BL 1136/1-1). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.