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The FASEB Journal, Vol 4, 201-207, Copyright © 1990 by The Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology

RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS

Adipose tissue islets: tissue culture of a potential source of fat cells in the adult rat

R Carraro, ZD Lu, ZH Li, JE Johnson Jr and RI Gregerman
Gerontology Research Center, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Francis Scott Key Medical Center, Baltimore, Maryland 21224.

Collagenase digests of adipose tissue of the 3 to 4-month-old rat contain groups of 20-100 tightly arranged cells (islets) that copurify with the free-floating fat cells. When cultured along with mature adipocytes the islets give rise to cells, initially fibroblast-like, which rapidly proliferate, acquire lipid droplets, and differentiate into small adipocytes within 4-6 days without the addition to the medium of the agents usually required to produce differentiation in stromal-vascular preadipocytes. Differentiation of these cells is independent of confluence and begins as early as day 2 of culture. The proportion of islet-derived cells that differentiate is directly correlated with the number of mature adipocytes simultaneously present in the culture (r = .709; P less than 0.001). Culture medium exposed to mature adipocytes demonstrated differentiation-promoting activity, suggesting a paracrine effect of these cells. Islets may in vivo constitute a source for newly formed adipocytes in the adult rat. The differentiation of these potential adipocytes may be regulated, at least in part, by the mature fat cells via a paracrine effect.




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Copyright © 1990 by The Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology.