Cellularity and in Vitro Fatty Acid Biosynthesis in Adipose Tissue of Meal-Fed and Nibbling Rats 1

Summary

Epididymal fat cells were of similar size in meal-fed and nibbling rats. Consequently, the differences in in vitro lipogenic capacity of the epididymal fat pads from meal-fed and nibbling rats were of similar magnitude whether the results were expressed on a tissue weight basis or on a fat cell basis. The results of these studies show that the enhanced lipogenic capacity observed in the adipose tissue from meal-fed rats results from a true metabolic adaptation and not a change in cell size.