Endocrine Abstracts

Owing to the increase in obesity, life expectancy may start to decrease in developed countries for the first time in recent history. In humans the generation of fat cells (adipocytes) is a major factor behind the growth of adipose tissue during childhood. The factors determining the fat mass in adults, however, are not fully understood. Increased fat storage in fully differentiated adipocytes, resulting in enlarged fat cells, is well documented and thought to be the most important mechanism whereby fat depots increase in adults. Using a recently developed method, which is based on the incorporation of 14C from nuclear bomb tests into genomic DNA and molecules, we can now also analyse the turnover of adipocytes, their progenitor cells and lipid stores. Results from studies looking at adipocyte and lipid turnover in adult humans, in health and pathology, will be discussed. Understanding the dynamics of adipocyte and lipid turnover may shed new light on potential treatments for obesity.