Pyrroloquinoline Quinone (PQQ) Improves Long-term Survival of Fat Grafts by Alleviating Oxidative Stress and Promoting Angiogenesis During the Early Phase After Transplantation.

BACKGROUND: Reducing absorption after autologous fat grafting is a current challenge. Pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ) is the strongest known catalyst for redox reactions, which can scavenge reactive oxygen species (ROS) and alleviate oxidative stress.

OBJECTIVES: To establish an in vivo model of PQQ-assisted lipotransfer to clarify the role of PQQ in reducing oxidative stress, alleviating apoptosis, and promoting angiogenesis during the acute hypoxic phase after grafting. Also, to assess whether this intervention would have a positive effect on the improvement of long-term volume retention.

METHODS: Different concentrations of PQQ (low: 10 μM, medium: 100 μM, and high: 1000 μM) were mixed with human adipose tissue and transplanted subcutaneously into nude mice. Meanwhile, a control group of phosphate-buffered saline in an equal volume to PQQ was set up. On the 3rd day after grafting, whole mount fluorescence staining was applied to detect ROS, mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), apoptosis, adipocyte activity, and angiogenesis. Graft volume retention rate and electron microscopic morphology were evaluated at the 3rd month. Immunohistochemistry and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) were further used to elucidate the mechanism of action of PQQ.

RESULTS: PQQ-assisted fat grafting improved the long-term volume retention, promoted the quality and viability of the adipose tissue, and reduced the level of fibrosis. The underlying mechanism was that PQQ could assist in scavenging the accumulated ROS, restoring MMP, enhancing adipocyte viability, alleviating tissue apoptosis, and promoting timely angiogenesis during the hypoxia stress phase. Among them, the most effective concentration of PQQ was 100 μM. Immunohistochemistry and PCR experiments confirmed that PQQ reduced the expression of Bax and cytochrome-c in the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway and increased the level of anti-apoptotic molecule Bcl-2.

CONCLUSIONS: PQQ could improve the long-term survival of adipocytes by alleviating hypoxic stress and promoting timely angiogenesis in the early phase after lipotransfer.