[PDF]    https://doi.org/10.3952/physics.2026.66.1.4

Open access article / Atviros prieigos straipsnis
Lith. J. Phys. 66, 30–39 (2026)
 


INVESTIGATION OF VISCERAL ADIPOSE TISSUE (VAT) SURFACE USING MICROSCOPIC METHODS
 
Edvardas Brimas, Inga Grigoravičiūtė, and Aivaras Kareiva
 Institute of Chemistry, Vilnius University, Naugarduko 24, 03225 Vilnius, Lithuania
Email: aivaras.kareiva@chgf.vu.lt

Received 2 June 2025; accepted 15 June 2025

In this study, optical microscopy (OM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used to characterize visceral adipose tissue (VAT) samples collected from volunteer patients with obesity. The focus was on examining the relationship between the morphological features of VAT samples from individuals with and without metabolic diseases. The microscopic images provided insights into the key morphological characteristics of VAT layers in obese individuals. The OM images of adipose tissue from visceral layers of various obese patients with metabolic diseases revealed the formation of lipid droplets of varying sizes and oval shapes. The SEM micrographs of VAT samples from obese patients with metabolic diseases showed the presence of single circular formations, voids, and other distinct morphological features. The OM and SEM findings could potentially be used to assess metabolic symptoms and predict various diseases in patients with obesity.
Keywords: visceral adipose tissue, obesity, metabolic disorders, optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy


VISCERALINIO RIEBALINIO AUDINIO (VRA) PAVIRŠIAUS TYRIMAS MIKROSKOPINIAIS METODAIS
 Edvardas Brimas, Inga Grigoravičiūtė, Aivaras Kareiva   
Vilniaus universiteto Chemijos ir geomokslų fakulteto Chemijos institutas, Vilnius, Lietuva
 
Šiame tyrime optinė mikroskopija (OM) ir skenuojanti elektroninė mikroskopija (SEM) buvo naudojamos visceralinio riebalinio audinio (VRA) mėginiams, paimtiems iš nutukusių savanorių, sergančių ir nesergančių metabolinėmis ligomis. Pavienių lipidų lašelių OM vaizduose aptikta tik keliuose riebalinio audinio mėginiuose, gautuose iš nutukusių pacientų, nesergančių metabolinėmis ligomis, visceralinių sluoksnių. Šių mėginių OM vaizduose nepastebėta jokių kitų aiškių ar specifinių požymių; priešingai, medžiagų apykaitos ligomis sergančių pacientų VRA mėginiuose nustatytas padidėjęs lipidų lašelių kiekis, o atskirų pacientų mėginiuose jis buvo nevienodas. SEM vaizdai atskleidė, kad abiejose nutukusių pacientų grupėse aptikta apvalių darinių, kurių dauguma dalelių buvo mažesnės nei 10 μm. Tačiau šių dalelių skaičius buvo gerokai didesnis nutukusių, medžiagų apykaitos ligomis sergančių pacientų riebalinio audinio mėginiuose. Be to, metaboliniu sindromu sergančių pacientų VRA mėginių paviršiuje pastebėta įvairaus dydžio tuštumų, kurių ilgis svyravo nuo maždaug 5 iki 50 μm. OM ir SEM tyrimų rezultatai potencialiai galėtų būti naudojami vertinant medžiagų apykaitos simptomus ir prognozuojant įvairias nutukimu sergančių pacientų ligas.


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