Adipoblasts from the Zucker fafa rat.

In vitro experiments using both primary fetal hepatocyle cultures and adipoblast cultures have demonstrated that the presence of the fa gene is associated with decreased synthetic capacity, when compared to wild-type cultures. These results are in contrast to the elevated lipogensis and lipoprotein-lipase activities found in vivo in young adult obses (fafa) Zucker rats compared to their lean littermates. These studies used adipoblast cultures to address three possible explanations for these in vitro-in vivo differences: 1) FaFa and fafa adipoblast cultures represent different cell populations with intrinsically different abilities to differentiate, ie, to lipid-fill. 2) The decreased synthetic capacities in fafa vs FaFa adipoblast cultures are specific to cultures derived from the epididymal pad. 3) Cultured adipoblasts produce factor(s) that affect adipoblast differentiation in vitro. Results indicate that 1) the rate of differentiation is slower in fafa than in FaFa adipoblasts 2) there are depot-related differences in lipid metabolism, but these differences do not negate the in vitro association between the fa gene and decreased synthetic capacity and 3) FaFa epididymal-derived adipoblasts produce a factor(s) that affects inguinal-derived adipoblast differentiation and/or growth in vitro. Thus it is important to take both the site of cell origin and culture conditions into consideration when using in vitro systems as an approach to understanding complex in vivo disorders, such as obesity in the Zucker fafa rat.