Biomaterial Database

Adipose tissue islets: tissue culture of a potential source of fat cells in the adult rat. 1990

R Carraro, and Z D Lu, and Z H Li, and J E Johnson, and R I 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.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008297	Male		Males
D008854	Microscopy, Electron	Microscopy using an electron beam, instead of light, to visualize the sample, thereby allowing much greater magnification. The interactions of ELECTRONS with specimens are used to provide information about the fine structure of that specimen. In TRANSMISSION ELECTRON MICROSCOPY the reactions of the electrons that are transmitted through the specimen are imaged. In SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY an electron beam falls at a non-normal angle on the specimen and the image is derived from the reactions occurring above the plane of the specimen.	Electron Microscopy
D011916	Rats, Inbred F344	An inbred strain of rat that is used for general BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH purposes.	Fischer Rats,Rats, Inbred CDF,Rats, Inbred Fischer 344,Rats, F344,Rats, Inbred Fisher 344,CDF Rat, Inbred,CDF Rats, Inbred,F344 Rat,F344 Rat, Inbred,F344 Rats,F344 Rats, Inbred,Inbred CDF Rat,Inbred CDF Rats,Inbred F344 Rat,Inbred F344 Rats,Rat, F344,Rat, Inbred CDF,Rat, Inbred F344,Rats, Fischer
D002452	Cell Count	The number of CELLS of a specific kind, usually measured per unit volume or area of sample.	Cell Density,Cell Number,Cell Counts,Cell Densities,Cell Numbers,Count, Cell,Counts, Cell,Densities, Cell,Density, Cell,Number, Cell,Numbers, Cell
D002454	Cell Differentiation	Progressive restriction of the developmental potential and increasing specialization of function that leads to the formation of specialized cells, tissues, and organs.	Differentiation, Cell,Cell Differentiations,Differentiations, Cell
D002455	Cell Division	The fission of a CELL. It includes CYTOKINESIS, when the CYTOPLASM of a cell is divided, and CELL NUCLEUS DIVISION.	M Phase,Cell Division Phase,Cell Divisions,Division Phase, Cell,Division, Cell,Divisions, Cell,M Phases,Phase, Cell Division,Phase, M,Phases, M
D002478	Cells, Cultured	Cells propagated in vitro in special media conducive to their growth. Cultured cells are used to study developmental, morphologic, metabolic, physiologic, and genetic processes, among others.	Cultured Cells,Cell, Cultured,Cultured Cell
D000273	Adipose Tissue	Specialized connective tissue composed of fat cells (ADIPOCYTES). It is the site of stored FATS, usually in the form of TRIGLYCERIDES. In mammals, there are two types of adipose tissue, the WHITE FAT and the BROWN FAT. Their relative distributions vary in different species with most adipose tissue being white.	Fatty Tissue,Body Fat,Fat Pad,Fat Pads,Pad, Fat,Pads, Fat,Tissue, Adipose,Tissue, Fatty
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D013234	Stem Cells	Relatively undifferentiated cells that retain the ability to divide and proliferate throughout postnatal life to provide progenitor cells that can differentiate into specialized cells.	Colony-Forming Units,Mother Cells,Progenitor Cells,Colony-Forming Unit,Cell, Mother,Cell, Progenitor,Cell, Stem,Cells, Mother,Cells, Progenitor,Cells, Stem,Colony Forming Unit,Colony Forming Units,Mother Cell,Progenitor Cell,Stem Cell