Background
The volume retention rate after autologous fat transplantation is unpredictable and unstable. Deferoxamine mesylate (DFO) is a drug approved by the FDA that is safe, has antioxidant effects, and can promote angiogenesis.
Objectives
The DFO-pretreated fat granules were transplanted into nude mice to observe the pro-angiogenic effect of DFO and to evaluate whether this treatment could also improve the retention rate of fat transplantation.
Methods
A total of 24 nude mice were transplanted with human adipose tissue that was pretreated with different concentrations of DFO (low: 0.5 mM, medium: 1 mM, and high: 4 mM). Samples were collected at one and three months. After sampling, weight/volume retention rate, immunohistochemistry, and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) were analyzed. The effects and mechanisms of DFO-pretreated fat grafts were evaluated.
Results
The in vivo experimental results showed that DFO-pretreated adipose fat significantly improved the postoperative weight/volume retention rate. The results of the immunohistochemical staining indicated that the integrity and activity of the adipocytes in the DFO-pretreated group were better than in the control group. The PCR results were consistent with the immunohistochemistry results (CD31), suggesting that DFO promoted angiogenesis in the grafts.
Conclusions
The results of this study indicate that preconditioning fat grafts with DFO can improve the effect of fat transplantation by promoting vascular regeneration.