[Lipoprotein lipase and adipocyte differentiation]

Some hormonal factors, possibly involved in the proliferation and differentiation of adipose precursor cells in vivo, have been characterized in vitro using different preadipocyte cell lines established from rodent adipose tissue. The process of adipose conversion has also been studied using these cell lines; in this process, stem cells (adipoblasts) were committed at any cell division during the growth phase. At confluence, committed cells (preadipocytes) underwent a limited number of mitoses and differentiated into adipose cells, whereas the uncommitted cells remained as stem cells in the cell population. This stochastic model could be extended to the development of rat adipose tissue in vivo. The study of adipose conversion showed the early emergence of lipoprotein lipase (LPL) and monoglyceride lipase (MGL). LPL activity appeared in the cells before any triglyceride accumulation. In contrast, this accumulation seemed dependent upon the emergence of glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase. In vitro experiments clearly established that LPL-containing (differentiating) cells underwent postconfluent mitoses. This limited proliferation was in agreement with previous data obtained in vivo and indicates that only triglyceride-containing (mature) cells could not divide.