Early Childhood Fat Tissue Changes—Adipocyte Morphometry, Collagen Deposition, and Expression of CD163 + Cells in Subcutaneous and Visceral Adipose Tissue of Male Children

Robert Mujkić, Darija Šnajder Mujkić, Ivana Ilić, Edi Rođak, Antun Šumanovac, Anđela Grgić, Dalibor Divković and Kristina Selthofer-Relatić
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Robert Mujkić: Department of Anatomy, Histology, Embryology, Pathological Anatomy and Pathological Histology, Faculty of Dental Medicine and Health, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Crkvena 21, 31000 Osijek, Croatia
Darija Šnajder Mujkić: Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, J. Huttlera 4, 31000 Osijek, Croatia
Ivana Ilić: Department of Anatomy, Histology, Embryology, Pathological Anatomy and Pathological Histology, Faculty of Dental Medicine and Health, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Crkvena 21, 31000 Osijek, Croatia
Edi Rođak: Department of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, J. Huttlera 4, 31000 Osijek, Croatia
Antun Šumanovac: Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, J. Huttlera 4, 31000 Osijek, Croatia
Anđela Grgić: Department of Anatomy, Histology, Embryology, Pathological Anatomy and Pathological Histology, Faculty of Dental Medicine and Health, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Crkvena 21, 31000 Osijek, Croatia
Dalibor Divković: Department for Paediatric Surgery, University Hospital Osijek, J. Huttlera 4, 31000 Osijek, Croatia
Kristina Selthofer-Relatić: Department for Cardiovascular Disease, University Hospital Osijek, J. Huttlera 4, 31000 Osijek, Croatia

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 7, 1-10

Abstract: Childhood obesity is a complex health problem, and not many studies have been done on adipose tissue remodeling in early childhood. The aim of this study was to examine extracellular matrix remodeling in the adipose tissue of healthy male children depending on their weight status. Subcutaneous and visceral adipose tissue was obtained from 45 otherwise healthy male children who underwent elective surgery for hernia repairs or orchidopexy. The children were divided into overweight/obese ( n = 17) or normal weight groups ( n = 28) depending on their body mass index (BMI) z-score. Serum was obtained for glucose, testosterone, triglyceride, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL), and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) measurements. Sections of adipose tissue were stained with hematoxylin and eosin to determine the adipocytes’ surface area, and Masson’s trichrome stain was used to detect the adipocytes’ collagen content. Immunohistochemistry for CD163 + cells was also performed. The results showed that male children in the overweight group had higher serum triglyceride levels, greater adipocyte surface area and collagen content in their subcutaneous adipose tissue, more crown-like structures in fat tissues, and more CD163 + cells in their visceral adipose tissue than males in the normal weight group. In conclusion, in male children, obesity can lead to the hypertrophy of adipocytes, increased collagen deposition in subcutaneous adipose tissues, and changes in the polarization and accumulation of macrophages.

Keywords: obesity; early years; collagen; inflammation; macrophages; adipose tissue (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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