Monolayer cultures of disaggregated human adipocytes.

Two theories have been advanced to explain the origin of adipocytes and both have experimental evidence in support. One theory proposed that adipocytes are specialized differentiated cells with specific lipid storage functions. The other held that they are unspecialized anlage cells which have the potential to store lipids depending on conditions. In an attempt to examine the little understood roles which these cells play in obesity and other abnormalities of lipid metabolism, disaggregated human adipocytes from infants and young children, free of stromal contamination, have been successfully grown in culture. The details of the techniques used, and some peculiar morphological characteristics of these cells in culture, are described.