Insulin Alters the Proliferation of Subcutaneous and Visceral Adipose Cells

ABSTRACT

Objective: Adipose tissue is the most abundant source of accessible stroma. The stromal cells proliferate and differentiate to mature adipocytes by different hormonal stimulus. Insulin was known to be associated with fat cell proliferation. The aim of this study was to investigate the varying concentrations of insulin effect on the proliferation of human subcutaneous and visceral adipose tissue cultures. Subcutaneous and omental adipose tissue was obtained from a 34 years old female donor aged with a body mass index (BMI) of 34.1 kg/m². Sromal vascular cells were isolated and cultured using modified procedures described by Entenmann and Hauner. For the proliferation assay, stromal-vascular cells from subcutaneous and omental adipose tissue cultures were fed with proliferation media containing 100 nM, 200 nM, 400 nM insulin, for 3 days. Cell numbers and sizes of proliferating cultures of human omental adipose tissue cultures increased more than human subcutaneous adipose tissue culture at the level of 100 nM and 200 nM insulin concentrations. All cells of adipose cultures died at the 400 nM insulin concentration. High insulin levels (400 nM) have a toxic effect on adipose cells. Insulin effects the number and size of omental adipose cells more than the subcutaneos adipose cells.