Aortic & peripheral vascular disease
Intramuscular Adipose Tissue Accumulation is a Key Determinant of Limb Function in Peripheral Artery Disease
Authors' conclusion
IMAT accumulation is a key determinant of limb function in PAD/CLTI. Our studies demonstrate that targeting IMAT formation could improve limb function in mice with experimental PAD.
Study context
- Population
- Gastrocnemius muscle samples from patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD)/chronic limb-threatening ischemia (CLTI), intermittent claudication and non-PAD individuals; murine hindlimb ischemia models
- Comparison
- PAD/CLTI vs intermittent claudication vs non-PAD; increased vs prevented intramuscular adipose tissue (IMAT) formation in mice
Methodological detailshuman muscle multi-omics, murine hindlimb ischemia models, FAP-specific Pparγ genetic manipulation
- Human muscle multi-omics
- Murine hindlimb ischemia models
- FAP-specific Pparγ genetic manipulation
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
- CLTI: significantly elevated expression of adipogenic genes and proteins in muscle vs non-PAD controls
- Mice: increasing IMAT formation significantly worsened ischemic limb muscle strength and work output
- Mice: preventing IMAT formation significantly improved ischemic limb muscle strength and work output
Further findings
Sex differences in mice
- Findings consistent in male and female mice; females had a greater tendency to form IMAT
Original publication
Intramuscular Adipose Tissue Accumulation is a Key Determinant of Limb Function in Peripheral Artery Disease. Circulation. Published 10 March 2026. doi:10.
Summarised from the published abstract; every number is checked against it