Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 20, 2026

Measuring the Rate of Lipolysis in Ex Vivo Murine Adipose Tissue and Primary Preadipocytes Differentiated In Vitro
Published on: March 17, 2023
Adipose tissue regulates hepatic cholesterol metabolism via adiponectin
Aims:
Lipid metabolic disorder involves multiple tissues and organs. Hepatic cholesterol metabolism is an important physiological process, which is tightly related to obesity and lipid metabolic disorders. In this study, we examined the direct effects of adipocytes on hepatic cholesterol metabolic factors and investigated the role of potential adipocytokines in it.
Main Methods:
Male SD rats were induced by a high-fat diet (HFD) and hepatic cholesterol metabolic factors, 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl-CoA reductase (HMGR) and ATP-binding cassette transporter A1 (ABCA1) were measured by immunoblotting. Then the effects of adipocytes on the expressions of hepatic cholesterol metabolism proteins were examined in the co-culture system. Finally, the concentrations of several adipocytokines were detected by ELISA and the effect of adiponectin (APN) on hepatic cholesterol metabolism was confirmed by short interference RNA (siRNA) in vitro.
Key Findings:
Our results showed that adipocytes significantly increased ABCA1 and decreased HMGR in hepatocytes after co-culture. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) treatment in this co-culture system reversed cholesterol metabolism compared with the untreated group. APN, which also decreased in obese rats, had a significant positive correlation with ABCA1 and inversed correlation with HMGR in vitro. Co-culturing with APN-silenced adipocytes partially restored ABCA1 and HMGR levels.
Significance:
The present study demonstrates that adipocytes regulate hepatic cholesterol metabolism partly via APN.
More Related Videos
09:20Isolation and Differentiation of Adipose-Derived Stem Cells from Porcine Subcutaneous Adipose Tissues
Published on: March 31, 2016
06:08Author Spotlight: Semi-Automated Isolation of the Stromal Vascular Fraction from Murine White Adipose Tissue Using a Tissue Dissociator
Published on: May 19, 2023
Related Concept Videos
Cholesterol: Significance and Regulation
Considering cholesterol and...
Lipid Catabolism
Overview of Fatty Acid Metabolism
Fatty acids are catabolized in a process called beta-oxidation, which takes place in the matrix of the mitochondria and converts their fatty acid chains into two-carbon units of acetyl groups. The acetyl...
Lipid Absorption
These breakdown products bind with bile salts and lecithin to form micelles, which quickly pass between microvilli to come in close contact with the apical...
Hypodermis
Overview of Lipid Metabolism
Lipolysis: The Breakdown of Lipids:
Lipolysis is the process of breaking down lipids, particularly triglycerides, into glycerol and fatty acids. This process typically occurs in the adipose tissue and is triggered by various hormones, including glucagon and...