Development in vitro of fatty acid synthesis in perirenal adipose tissue from new-born lambs.

Pieces of perirenal adipose tissue from new-born lambs were maintained in tissue culture for 5 days in the presence of insulin. During this period there was a 7-fold increase in the rate of fatty acid synthesis. Both omission of insulin from the culture medium and addition of ovine growth hormone to the culture medium resulted in a significantly lower rate of fatty acid synthesis. The results are compared with changes in the rate of fatty acid synthesis in vivo in neonatal lambs and the probable roles of insulin and growth hormone in the regulation of fatty acid synthesis in neonatal lambs are discussed.