Figure 24.

Comparison between multilocular brown adipose tissue (BAT) in control (CFC) perivascular adipose tissue (PVAT), which transdifferentiates to unilocular white adipose tissue (WAT) in the obese, insulin resistant, diabetic db/db model. The left-hand panel demonstrates the multilocular BAT in the CFC control models in the descending thoracic aorta PVAT with its multiple mitochondria (Mt). The right-hand panel depicts the unilocular transdifferentiated WAT with the adherence of an inflammatory macrophage (MΦ) in the diabetic db/db model. Note the rupture of the plasma membrane with leakage of inciting inflammatory lipids into the interstitium (open arrow) that has no Mt and also the thinned small Mt (closed arrows) in the adjacent adipocyte. This image is from the experiment in reference [69]. Ld = lipid droplet.