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Updated: Jan 25, 2026

Isolation and Differentiation of Primary White and Brown Preadipocytes from Newborn Mice
Published on: January 25, 2021
Effects of different oxygen tensions on differentiated human preadipocytes lipid storage and mobilisation
Bimit Mahat1, Jean-François Mauger1, Pascal Imbeault1,2
1Behavioral and Metabolic Research Unit, School of Human Kinetics, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada.
Abstract:
Adipose tissue expansion has been suggested to impair oxygen (O2) diffusion in the adipose tissue and cause hypoxia. This study aimed at characterising the effects of hypoxia on adipocyte lipid storage and mobilisation functions. Human preadipocytes were exposed to different O2 tensions (3, 10 and 21%) either acutely for 24 h after differentiation (acute exposure) or during differentiation (14d, chronic hypoxia). Lipoprotein lipase (LPL) activity was decreased dose-dependently by both acute and chronic hypoxia (p < .05). Acute exposure to 3, and 10% O2 stimulated the expression of lipid storage gene, while chronic exposure to 3% O2 inhibited the expression of genes involved in lipid storage and mobilisation (p < .05). Acute hypoxia dose-dependently stimulated basal lipolysis. Conversely, chronic hypoxia did not affect basal lipolysis but significantly decreased isoproterenol-stimulated lipolysis (p < .05). In conclusion, the effects of hypoxia on human adipocyte lipid storage and mobilisation functions are complex but could favour ectopic fat deposition.
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