The Adipose Organ Is a Unitary Structure in Mice and Humans
A. Giordano,
F. Cinti,
R. Canese,
G. Carpinelli,
G. Colleluori,
A. Di Vincenzo,
G. Palombelli,
I. Severi,
M. Moretti,
C. Redaelli,
J. Partridge,
M. C. Zingaretti,
A. Agostini,
F. Sternardi,
A. Giovagnoni,
S. Castorina,
S. Cinti
Affiliations
A. Giordano
Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Center for the Study of Obesity, Marche Polytechnic University, 60126 Ancona, Italy
F. Cinti
UOS Centro Malattie Endocrine e Metaboliche, UOC Endocrinologia e Diabetologia, Dipartimento di Scienze Mediche e Chirurgiche, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Roma, Italy
R. Canese
MRI Unit-Core Facilities, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, 00161 Roma, Italy
G. Carpinelli
MRI Unit-Core Facilities, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, 00161 Roma, Italy
G. Colleluori
Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Center for the Study of Obesity, Marche Polytechnic University, 60126 Ancona, Italy
A. Di Vincenzo
Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Center for the Study of Obesity, Marche Polytechnic University, 60126 Ancona, Italy
G. Palombelli
MRI Unit-Core Facilities, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, 00161 Roma, Italy
I. Severi
Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Center for the Study of Obesity, Marche Polytechnic University, 60126 Ancona, Italy
M. Moretti
Department of Public Health, Experimental and Forensic Medicine, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy
C. Redaelli
Anatomage Inc., Santa Clara, CA 95054, USA
J. Partridge
Anatomage Inc., Santa Clara, CA 95054, USA
M. C. Zingaretti
Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Center for the Study of Obesity, Marche Polytechnic University, 60126 Ancona, Italy
A. Agostini
Department of Clinical, Special and Dental Sciences, Marche Polytechnic University, 60126 Ancona, Italy
F. Sternardi
Department of Clinical, Special and Dental Sciences, Marche Polytechnic University, 60126 Ancona, Italy
A. Giovagnoni
Department of Clinical, Special and Dental Sciences, Marche Polytechnic University, 60126 Ancona, Italy
S. Castorina
Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences and Advanced Technologies G.F. Ingrassia, University of Catania, 95121 Catania, Italy
S. Cinti
Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Center for the Study of Obesity, Marche Polytechnic University, 60126 Ancona, Italy
Obesity is the fifth leading cause of death worldwide. In mice and humans with obesity, the adipose organ undergoes remarkable morpho-functional alterations. The comprehension of the adipose organ function and organization is of paramount importance to understand its pathology and formulate future therapeutic strategies. In the present study, we performed anatomical dissections, magnetic resonance imaging, computed axial tomography and histological and immunohistochemical assessments of humans and mouse adipose tissues. We demonstrate that most of the two types of adipose tissues (white, WAT and brown, BAT) form a large unitary structure fulfilling all the requirements necessary to be considered as a true organ in both species. A detailed analysis of the gross anatomy of mouse adipose organs in different pathophysiological conditions (normal, cold, pregnancy, obesity) shows that the organ consists of a unitary structure composed of different tissues: WAT, BAT, and glands (pregnancy). Data from autoptic dissection of 8 cadavers, 2 females and 6 males (Age: 37.5 ± 9.7, BMI: 23 ± 2.7 kg/m2) and from detailed digital dissection of 4 digitalized cadavers, 2 females and 2 males (Age: 39 ± 14.2 years, BMI: 22.8 ± 4.3 kg/m2) confirmed the mixed (WAT and BAT) composition and the unitary structure of the adipose organ also in humans. Considering the remarkable endocrine roles of WAT and BAT, the definition of the endocrine adipose organ would be even more appropriate in mice and humans.
