Vasculature-associated fat macrophages readily adapt to inflammatory and metabolic challenges

We show that the epididymal white adipose tissue harbors 4 subpopulations of macrophages (VAM1, VAM2, PreVAM and DPs), 2 subpopulations of Dendritic Cells (CD11B+CD103- and CD11B-CD103+) and monocytes. VAMs display a gene signature enriched in pathways related to anti-inflammatory/ detoxifying and repair processes. Our gene expression work shows no evidence of an M2 to a Classically Activated/M1 shift during diet-induced obesity (DIO). Gene expression of VAMs or DP macrophages cannot be defined as M1 or M1-like. Our data are more compatible with the category of “Metabolically-activated” macrophages (MMe) Examination of RNA expression changes in different epididymal adipose tissue myeloid subpopulations in lean versus obese animals harboring metabolic syndrome