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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2022 Feb 4.
Published in final edited form as: Nat Rev Endocrinol. 2021 Oct 8;17(12):726–744. doi: 10.1038/s41574-021-00562-6

Fig. 2 |. Cellular crosstalk between vasculature and other adipose-resident cells.

Fig. 2 |

Accumulation of pro-angiogenic factors combined with reduced levels of angiogenic inhibitors in the adipose niche promotes the expansion and remodelling of the vascular network in response to thermogenic stimuli. Thermogenic adipocytes (shown in beige and brown) and their progenitors secrete several angiogenic factors (pale yellow) to guide vascular cells to expand, regress or remodel depending on the requirements of the adipose tissue microenvironment. Reciprocally, endothelial cells release factors (red), such as endothelin1 (EDN1) and nitric oxide (NO), that promote the thermogenic function of brown and beige adipocytes. EDN1 and platelet-derived growth factor C (PDGF-C) also regulate adipogenesis in progenitors. Pro-angiogenic and anti-angiogenic cytokines (grey) and growth factors secreted by immune cells regulate vasculature function and remodelling. ANGPT1, angiopoietin 1; FGF, fibroblast growth factor; HGF, hepatocyte growth factor; NPY, neuropeptide Y; TGFβ1, transforming growth factor-β 1; TNF, tumour necrosis factor; VEGF, vascular endothelial growth factor.