Morphometric analysis of adipocytes in epicardial adipose tissue of the right atrium – preliminary data

    Authors

    Keywords

    epicardial adipose tissue, histology, imaging, right atrium morphology

    DOI

    https://doi.org/10.15836/ccar2022.266

    Full Text

    **Introduction:** Excess cardiac visceral adipose tissue, which includes epicardial adipose tissue, is a risk factor for the development of coronary heart disease, arterial hypertension, diabetes and metabolic syndrome. Obesity is one of the known predictors of visceral obesity, but its influence on the morphology and function of cardiac adipose tissue is still incompletely elucidated (1). **Materials and Methods:** The research included post-mortem analysis of 8 samples (4 male and 4 female) of the right atrium with associated epicardial adipose tissue. The exclusion criterion was cardiac pathology affecting the right heart. All 8 samples were fixed in formalin and embedded into paraffin blocks and processed for staining with hematoxylin and eosin. The epicardial adipose tissue was measured using FIJI, a distribution of ImageJ software with Adiposoft plugin (v1.16) (**Figure 1****)**. Samples were compared on the gender and waist circumference basis. The criteria for visceral obesity were waist circumference with a cut-off value of >80 cm for females and >94 cm for males. FIGURE 1. Processing of histological samples (sample from a male patient on the left, sample from a female patient on the right). Images A and B represent the “native” histological sample of the right atrium with associated epicardial adipose tissue (stained with hematoxylin and eosin), images C and D were processed by Paint.net software with the aim of isolating only adipose tissue and images E and F are the results of morphological quantification of adipocytes using FIJI, a distribution of ImageJ software with the Adiposoft plugin (v1.16). **Results:** There were 4 samples (2 male and 2 female) of patients with increased waist circumference and the same number and gender distribution with normal waist circumference. No statistically significant difference was found in the morphometric parameters according to the waist circumference (p > 0.05). However, women had a higher median value of adipocyte area, which was compared to men (p < 0.05). **Conclusion:** The obtained preliminary data indicate a different cellular morphology of atrial visceral adipose tissue according to gender, but to obtain more convincing results, research on a larger sample is needed (2).

    Literature

    1. Selthofer-Relatić K, Belovari T, Bijelić N, Kibel A, Rajc J. Presence of Intramyocardial Fat Tissue in the Right Atrium and Right Ventricle - Postmortem Human Analysis. Acta Clin Croat. 2018 March;57(1):122–9. https://doi.org/10.20471/acc.2018.57.01.15
    2. Vučić D, Bijelić N, Rođak E, Rajc J, Dumenčić B, Belovari T, et al. Right Heart Morphology and Its Association With Excessive and Deficient Cardiac Visceral Adipose Tissue. Clin Med Insights Cardiol. 2021 September 29;15:11795468211041330. https://doi.org/10.1177/11795468211041330
    Cardiologia Croatica
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    Morphometric analysis of adipocytes in epicardial adipose tissue of the right atrium – preliminary data

    Extended Abstract
    Issue9-10
    Published
    Pages266
    PDF via DOIhttps://doi.org/10.15836/ccar2022.266
    epicardial adipose tissue
    histology
    imaging
    right atrium morphology

    Authors

    Domagoj Vučić*ORCID”Dr. Josip Benčević” General Hospital, Slavonski Brod, Croatia
    Nikola BijelićORCIDUniversity Josip Juraj Strossmayer, Osijek, Croatia
    Edi RođakORCIDUniversity Josip Juraj Strossmayer, Osijek, Croatia
    Jasmina RajcORCIDUniversity Josip Juraj Strossmayer, Osijek, Croatia
    Boris DumenčićORCIDUniversity Josip Juraj Strossmayer, Osijek, Croatia
    Tatjana BelovariORCIDUniversity Josip Juraj Strossmayer, Osijek, Croatia
    Kristina Selthofer-RelatićORCIDUniversity Josip Juraj Strossmayer, Osijek, Croatia

    *Correspondence email: domagojvucicmedri@gmail.com

    Full Text

    Introduction: Excess cardiac visceral adipose tissue, which includes epicardial adipose tissue, is a risk factor for the development of coronary heart disease, arterial hypertension, diabetes and metabolic syndrome. Obesity is one of the known predictors of visceral obesity, but its influence on the morphology and function of cardiac adipose tissue is still incompletely elucidated (1).

    Materials and Methods: The research included post-mortem analysis of 8 samples (4 male and 4 female) of the right atrium with associated epicardial adipose tissue. The exclusion criterion was cardiac pathology affecting the right heart. All 8 samples were fixed in formalin and embedded into paraffin blocks and processed for staining with hematoxylin and eosin. The epicardial adipose tissue was measured using FIJI, a distribution of ImageJ software with Adiposoft plugin (v1.16) (Figure 1). Samples were compared on the gender and waist circumference basis. The criteria for visceral obesity were waist circumference with a cut-off value of >80 cm for females and >94 cm for males.

    FIGURE 1. Processing of histological samples (sample from a male patient on the left, sample from a female patient on the right). Images A and B represent the “native” histological sample of the right atrium with associated epicardial adipose tissue (stained with hematoxylin and eosin), images C and D were processed by Paint.net software with the aim of isolating only adipose tissue and images E and F are the results of morphological quantification of adipocytes using FIJI, a distribution of ImageJ software with the Adiposoft plugin (v1.16).

    Results: There were 4 samples (2 male and 2 female) of patients with increased waist circumference and the same number and gender distribution with normal waist circumference. No statistically significant difference was found in the morphometric parameters according to the waist circumference (p > 0.05). However, women had a higher median value of adipocyte area, which was compared to men (p < 0.05).

    Conclusion: The obtained preliminary data indicate a different cellular morphology of atrial visceral adipose tissue according to gender, but to obtain more convincing results, research on a larger sample is needed (2).

    Literature

    1. 1.
      Selthofer-Relatić K, Belovari T, Bijelić N, Kibel A, Rajc J. Presence of Intramyocardial Fat Tissue in the Right Atrium and Right Ventricle - Postmortem Human Analysis. Acta Clin Croat. 2018 March;57(1):122–9.DOI
    2. 2.
      Vučić D, Bijelić N, Rođak E, Rajc J, Dumenčić B, Belovari T, et al. Right Heart Morphology and Its Association With Excessive and Deficient Cardiac Visceral Adipose Tissue. Clin Med Insights Cardiol. 2021 September 29;15:11795468211041330.DOI