Biomaterial Database

Tocopherol distribution and intracellular localization in human adipose tissue. 1987

M G Traber, and H J Kayden

Adipocytes, isolated from human adipose tissue, were disrupted and then centrifuged, resulting in three fractions: oil, interface between the oil and the hypotonic buffer (containing lipid droplets surrounded by unilamellar membranes), and pelleted portion (containing bilayer membranes, intracellular organelles, and debris). The ratios of tocopherol:cholesterol and tocopherol:triglyceride were similar for adipose tissue, adipocytes, oil, and interface. The bulk lipid (oil plus interface fractions) of the adipocytes contained 99% of the tocopherol, 98% of the triglyceride, and 91% of the cholesterol. The tocopherol:cholesterol ratio was nearly eightfold greater in the bulk lipid than in the bilayer membrane fraction. By use of radioactively labeled tocopherol and cholesterol, it was demonstrated that the isolation protocol did not alter the distribution of the intracellular lipids; furthermore, the tocopherol in the lipid droplet did not readily exchange. Thus, the majority of tocopherol in adipose tissue is located in the bulk-lipid stores.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D009940	Organoids	An organization of cells into an organ-like structure. Organoids can be generated in culture, e.g., self-organized three-dimensional tissue structures derived from STEM CELLS (see MICROPHYSIOLOGICAL SYSTEMS). They are also found in certain NEOPLASMS.	Organoid
D002784	Cholesterol	The principal sterol of all higher animals, distributed in body tissues, especially the brain and spinal cord, and in animal fats and oils.	Epicholesterol
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
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
D014018	Tissue Distribution	Accumulation of a drug or chemical substance in various organs (including those not relevant to its pharmacologic or therapeutic action). This distribution depends on the blood flow or perfusion rate of the organ, the ability of the drug to penetrate organ membranes, tissue specificity, protein binding. The distribution is usually expressed as tissue to plasma ratios.	Distribution, Tissue,Distributions, Tissue,Tissue Distributions
D014280	Triglycerides	An ester formed from GLYCEROL and three fatty acid groups.	Triacylglycerol,Triacylglycerols,Triglyceride
D014810	Vitamin E	A generic descriptor for all TOCOPHEROLS and TOCOTRIENOLS that exhibit ALPHA-TOCOPHEROL activity. By virtue of the phenolic hydrogen on the 2H-1-benzopyran-6-ol nucleus, these compounds exhibit varying degree of antioxidant activity, depending on the site and number of methyl groups and the type of ISOPRENOIDS.