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Updated: Jun 20, 2026

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Mechanism of Regulation of Adipocyte Numbers in Adult Organisms Through Differentiation and Apoptosis Homeostasis
Published on: June 3, 2016
Dynamics of adipose tissue development by 2H2O labeling
Etienne Pouteau1, Carine Beysen, Nabil Saad
1Nutrition and Health Department, Nestle Research Center, Lausanne, Switzerland.
Methods in Molecular Biology (Clifton, N.J.)
|September 19, 2009
Summary
This study introduces a novel in vivo method using deuterium-labeled water (2H2O) to precisely measure adipose tissue growth dynamics. The technique accurately quantifies triglyceride and DNA synthesis rates, offering insights into obesity development.
Area of Science:
- Metabolic research
- Adipose tissue biology
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Adipose tissue growth involves hyperplasia and hypertrophy, with dynamic synthesis and breakdown rates.
- Understanding these dynamics is crucial for studying obesity development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To present a unique in vivo method for measuring adipose tissue growth dynamics.
- To utilize 2H2O labeling and mass spectrometry for quantifying synthesis rates of key adipose components.
Main Methods:
- Administered 2H2O to rodents/humans and collected biopsies.
- Extracted and purified adipose components: triglycerides (TG) and genomic DNA.
- Analyzed 2H-enrichment using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry to calculate synthesis rates.
Main Results:
- Successfully labeled TG-glycerol, TG-palmitate, and genomic DNA with deuterium.
- Calculated fractional and absolute synthesis rates for TG, de novo lipogenesis (DNL), and DNA.
- Presented in vivo data on adipose tissue growth dynamics in Zucker rats.
Conclusions:
- The described method is nonradioactive, nonhazardous, accurate, reproducible, and sensitive.
- This technique provides a robust approach to study adipose tissue dynamics in various physiological and pathological states.
- The findings offer valuable insights into the ontogeny of adipose tissue growth, particularly in the context of obesity.
