Characterization of differentiated subcutaneous and visceral adipose tissue from children: The influences of TNF-α and IGF-I

Abstract

The relationship between subcutaneous and visceral adipocyte metabolism and development has been extensively studied in adult but not in pediatric tissue. Our aim was to isolate, develop, characterize, and compare primary cell cultures of subcutaneous and visceral preadipocytes from 16 normal prepubertal children (10 male and 6 female). Subculture techniques were developed to increase cell number and allow differentiation using a chemically defined serum-free medium. Removal of insulin from the differentiation medium prevented adipogenesis in both subcutaneous and visceral preadipocytes, whereas coincubation with rosiglitazone markedly enhanced glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase activity, pe..