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Updated: Jun 3, 2026

Mechanism of Regulation of Adipocyte Numbers in Adult Organisms Through Differentiation and Apoptosis Homeostasis
Published on: June 3, 2016
Growth hormone and adipose tissue: beyond the adipocyte
Darlene E Berryman1, Edward O List, Lucila Sackmann-Sala
1School of Applied Health Sciences and Wellness College of Health Sciences and Human Performance, Ohio University, Athens, OH 45701, United States. berrymad@ohio.edu
None:
The last two decades have seen resurgence in research focused on adipose tissue. In part, the enhanced interest stems from an alarming increase in obesity rates worldwide. However, an understanding that this once simple tissue is significantly more intricate and interactive than previously realized has fostered additional attention. While few would argue that growth hormone (GH) radically alters fat mass, newer findings revealing the complexity of adipose tissue requires that GH's influence on this tissue be reexamined. Therefore, the objective of this review is to describe the more recent understanding of adipose tissue and to summarize our current knowledge of how GH may influence and contribute to these newer complexities of this tissue with special focus on the available data from mice with altered GH action.
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