Functional human to mouse adipose tissue xenotransplantation

Abstract

White adipose tissue (WAT) produces a number of metabolically important factors and, therefore, some inborn errors of metabolism may potentially be corrected by transplantation of normal allogeneicWAT. To explore the ability of humanWAT (HuWAT) to compensate for a missing factor and to induce allogeneic immune response, we created leptin-deficient, immunodeficient mice and transplanted them with either 2.5 or 5 ml HuWAT. Recipient mice showed stable levels of human leptin in circulation, reduced body mass gain, and amelioration of hepatic steatosis. Food consumption and plasma insulin levels were reduced only in recipients of 5 ml WAT. Transfer of 2!107 human mononuclear cells to reject WATas an allograft was ineffective and resulted only in some reduction of circulating leptin and a limited damage to the WAT grafts followed by the loss of human leukocytes. © 2012 Society for Endocrinology.