CD11c⁺ F4/80^- and CD11c⁺ F4/80⁺ cells from the VAT of lean and obese mice have characteristics of dendritic cells and macrophages, respectively.

<p>(A) Representative data of flow cytometric analysis of SVF cells obtained from the epididymal fat pad of 16 wk/o chow-fed male C57BL/6J mice. The dot-plot shows CD11c and F4/80 immunostaining in CD45⁺-gated SVF cells. (<i>B</i>) Representative data of flow-cytometric analysis of cell surface expression of Mertk, CD64, and CCR7 in CD11c⁺F4/80⁺ and CD11c⁺F4/80^- SVF cells. n = 3. (C and D) Representative data of flow cytometric analysis (contour plot) of cell-surface MHC-II and CD86 respectively in the indicated population of SVF cells. n = 3. (E) FACS-sorted splenic DCs (Sp DC) and VAT-SVF-derived CD11c⁺ F4/80⁺ and CD11c⁺ F4/80^- cells from lean mice were loaded with OVA and co-cultured with CFSE-labeled naïve CD4⁺ OTII transgenic T cells for 72 h. The histograms indicate proliferation of transgenic T cells as measured by dilution of CFSE dye. The bar graph represents the quantified data (*, p < 0.05 <i>vs</i>. CD11c⁺F4/80⁺ group; # p < 0.05 <i>vs</i>. Splenic DC-No Ova group). The data are representative of two independent experiments. (F) IFN-γ ELISA of cell culture supernatants of the cells used for the experiment in panel D. (G) FACS-sorted splenic DCs (Sp DC) and VAT-SVF-derived CD11c⁺ F4/80⁺ and CD11c⁺F4/80^- cells from DIO mice were loaded with OVA and co-cultured with CFSE-labeled naïve CD4⁺ OTII transgenic T cells for 72 h. Splenic DCs without ovalbumin served as control (*, p < 0.05 <i>vs</i>. CD11c⁺F4/80⁺ group; #, p < 0.05 <i>vs</i>. splenic DC- No Ova group). The data are representative of two independent experiments.