ABSTRACT
Adipocyte growth consists of hyperplasia of preadipocytes coupled with differentiation followed by lipid filling or cell hypertrophy. Selected hormones and growth factors initiate differentiation, which is regulated by the synthesis of specific transcription factors that regulate the synthesis of mRNA and, in turn, proteins characteristic of the adipocyte. Adipocyte lipid metabolism consists of anabolic processes that include de novo fatty acid synthesis, lipoprotein lipase activity, and triacylglycerol synthesis coupled with the catabolic process of lipolysis. Increase in adipose tissue mass is primarily the result of cell hypertrophy resulting from greater anabolic than catabolic adipocyte lipid metabolic rates. These metabolic rates are regulated by endocrine factors, the most important of which are insulin and the adrenergic hormones. The caloric content of the diet can regulate adipose tissue growth, which can also be influenced by individual dietary components.
KEYWORDS
Adipocytes - differentiation - growth - preadipocytes
