Comparison between Stem Cells Harvested from Wet and Dry Lipoaspirates

Abstract

Adipose-derived stem cells (ASC) are usually isolated from lipoaspirates, but it is not known if the anesthetic solution injected into adipose tissue affects cell yield and functions. Two different samples were drawn from the abdominal region of female subjects. In the first, a physiological solution containing lidocaine/adrenaline was injected (wet liposuction, WL), while in the contralateral area, the sample was collected without injecting any solution (dry liposuction, DL). The aspirates were processed to investigate the yield of the stromal-vascular fraction (SVF) cells and ASC frequency, growth rate, apoptosis, and differentiation potential. The solid dried mass of fresh WL isolates was lower than that of DL isolates (p < 0.01) due to the presence, in the former, of a liquid solution. As a consequence, the amount of WL-SVF cells was 18.7% lower than those obtained from DL (p < 0.01); this difference was also observed under culture conditions. In addition, the number of colony-forming unit-fibroblasts (CFU-Fs) obtained from 1 × 10³ SVF cells was 25.5% lower in WL-aspirates than DL-aspirates (p < 0.05) owing, at least in part, to the observed presence of apparent diffusion coefficient in the liquid solution of the WL isolates. After WL and DL, no differences were observed in ASC growth rate, apoptosis, or differentiation potential toward adipogenic, osteogenic, and endothelial cell lineages. In conclusion, WL yields about 40% fewer ASC than DL due to the combined effect of tissue dilution and the reduced frequency of ASC in the SVF. The main biological features of ASC are suitable for cell-based therapies.

• adipose-derived stem cell
• stromal-vascular fraction
• differentiation
• apoptosis
• tissue engineering

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Acknowledgment

Grateful acknowledgments are due to Dr. Maria Grazia Silvestri from the S.S.E.C.U. Division of S.Orsola-Malpighi Hospital, Bologna, Italy, for the analyses of blood cells performed in the lipoaspirates.

Declaration of interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of this paper. The sponsors funding this research did not influence the results of the project.

This research was supported with grants from Compagnia di San Paolo, Turin, and Fondazione Dr. Carlo Fornasini, Poggio Renatico (FE), Italy.