Adipose tissue cell size and lipolysis in the rat: response to exercise intensity and food restriction

This experiment was designed to determine if the adaptive increase in adipose tissue epinephrine-stimulated lipolysis (ESL) observed in exercise trained rats is related to decreased adipocyte size or a direct response to exercise. Two levels of treadmill exercise and three levels of food restriction were imposed on male rats over a 12 week experimental period to create a distribution of adipose tissue cell sizes. Epinephrine-stimulated lipolysis was subsequently measured in the isolated adipocytes from rats trained at two different exercise levels and in untrained rats fed either ad libitum or 16%, 27%, or 35% dietary restriction. Energy restriction was effective in reducing body weight and to some extent epididymal fat pad weight; however, adipocyte size and number were not significantly affected. Exercise in both groups of trained rats was effective in reducing adipocyte size; however, cell size did not differ between training groups. The group receiving the greatest amount of daily exercise had significantly greater ESL indicating that the adaptive increase in lipolytic potential seen in adipose tissue of exercise trained rats is a true metabolic adaptation not secondary to reduced cell size.