Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research

Original Research Article | OPEN ACCESS

Effect of estrogen application timing on adipose tissue revascularization and immune regulation in rats after autologous fat transplantation

Weigang Lin, Lili Zhu , Mirong Liao, Yunyan Zhang

Department of Plastic Surgery, Taizhou Hospital of Zhejiang Province, Linhai 317000, Zhejiang Province, China;

For correspondence:- Lili Zhu Email: w1jmrf@163.com

Accepted: 15 April 2022 Published: 31 May 2022

Citation: Lin W, Zhu L, Liao M, Zhang Y. Effect of estrogen application timing on adipose tissue revascularization and immune regulation in rats after autologous fat transplantation. Trop J Pharm Res 2022; 21(5):989-994 doi: 10.4314/tjpr.v21i5.12

© 2022 The authors.
This is an Open Access article that uses a funding model which does not charge readers or their institutions for access and distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0) and the Budapest Open Access Initiative (http://www.budapestopenaccessinitiative.org/read), which permit unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly credited..

Abstract

Purpose: To study the effect of timing of estrogen application on adipose tissue revascularization and immune regulation in rats given autologous fat transplantation.

Methods: Ninety (90) healthy rats were selected for use in this study. The rats were randomly divided into a study group (n = 45) and control group (n = 45). After ovariectomy, the study group was given estrogen replacement therapy before autologous fat transplantation, while the control group was given estrogen replacement therapy after autologous fat transplantation. The rats were observed for 6 weeks after transplantation. Micro-vessel density, wet weight of transplanted fat, VEGF expression level, levels of M1 and M2 in macrophages, and macrophage infiltration rate were determined 40 days post-autologous fat transplantation.

Results: Forty days after autologous fat transplantation, microvessel density, wet weight of transplanted fat, expression level of VEGF and levels of M1 and M2 in macrophages were significantly higher in study group rats than in controls (p < 0.05). There was 80 % macrophage infiltration in the study group rats, while the corresponding control value (61 %) was significantly lower (p < 0.05).

Conclusion: Estrogen treatment before autologous fat transplantation in rats is helpful for the revascularization of adipose tissue, enhances vascular regeneration, promotes the survival of adipose tissue after transplantation, and activates immune cells. It also promotes the production of immune factors, and improves immunoregulation in adipose tissue. Thus, this therapeutic strategy may be useful in clinical practice, but further clinical trials are required.

Keywords: Timing of estrogen application, Autologous fat transplantation, Adipose tissue revascularization, Immune regulation