Who says fat ain't phat?

Researchers at the University of Indiana have found that
fat could actually be good for the heart

By Brian Hoyle

Fat is public enemy number one. It's adding inches to our waistlines and deposits in our arteries. But now researchers from the University of Indiana might have found evidence that could clear fat's bad rap.

A report published in the March 1 online edition of Circulation stated that a subclass of immature fat cells in human adipose tissue helps the body grow new blood vessels. The new vessels formed by the stem cell-like action of these immature cells — known as adipose stromal cells (ASC) — can be used to repair damaged muscle and heart tissue, especially in people with poor circulation.

"Stromal cell treatment, ideally, would allow the bodies of individuals with impaired circulation to compensate in the same way as those of people who can grow their own blood vessels," said Dr Keith March, one of the study's authors.

ASCs produce growth factors that enhance the process of angiogenesis — the growth of blood vessels — and also pump out compounds that retard the programmed death of cells, or apoptosis.

The researchers used stromal cell implantation in mice and cell culture studies to demonstrate the production of the beneficial compounds, influence of the compounds on the production of new blood vessels, and the persistence of the cells in the body.

A RENEWABLE RESOURCE
For people with poor circulation, fat may be a "renewable resource," according to Dr Jalees Rehman, another of the study's authors. "A lot of people can grow their own blood vessels and when they have blockages in their arteries, their bodies naturally compensate. People who cannot grow blood vessels are the ones who may benefit from this research," says Dr Rehman.

ASCs would be extracted from adipose tissue that's been removed through liposuction from an afflicted person. The stromal cells could then be returned to the person's body right at the site of poor circulation, where new vessels are needed the most. Good candidates for the procedure would be those in whom poor circulation generates severe chest pains from angina which is caused by reduced blood flow to the heart, leg cramps and leg amputations, says Dr Rehman.

While this latest research doesn't mean that we should scarf down cheeseburgers to build up a supply of stromal cells to add to our already bulging waistlines, it does hold the possibility that, in some people, unwanted fat may have a good side after all.