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To elucidate cellular mechanisms of sex-related differences in fat distribution, we determined body fat distribution (dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and single-slice abdominal computed tomography (CT)), adipocyte size, adipocyte number, and proportion of early-differentiated adipocytes (aP2+CD68−) in the stromovascular fraction (SVF) in the upper and lower body of normal-weight healthy men (n = 12) and premenopausal women (n = 20) (age: 18-49 years, BMI: 18-26 kg/m2). Women had more subcutaneous and less visceral fat than men. The proportion of early differentiated adipocytes in the subcutaneous adipose tissue SVF of women was greater than in men (P = 0.01), especially in the femoral depot, although in vitro adipogenesis, as assessed by peroxisome proliferator activated receptor-γ (PPARγ) expression, was not increased in femoral preadipocytes cultured from women compared with men. In women, differentiation of femoral preadipocytes was less than that of abdominal subcutaneous preadipocytes (P = 0.04), and femoral subcutaneous preadipocytes tended to be more resistant to tumor necrosis factor-α (TNFα)-induced apoptosis (P = 0.06). Thus, turnover and utilization of the preadipocyte pool may be reduced in lower vs. the upper-body fat in women. Collectively, these data indicate that the microenvironment, rather than differences in inherent properties of preadipocytes between genders, may explain the gynoid obesity phenotype and higher percent body fat in women compared to men. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

depot sizes peak in middle age but decrease by advanced old age. This phenomenon is associated with ectopic fat deposition, decreased adipocyte size, impaired differentiation of preadipocytes into fat cells, decreased adipogenic transcription factor expression, and increased fat tissue inflammatory cytokine generation. To define the mechanisms contributing to impaired adipogenesis with aging, we examined the release of TNFα, which inhibits adipogenesis, and the expression of CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein (C/EBP) homologous protein (CHOP), which blocks activity of adipogenic C/EBP family members, in preadipocytes cultured from young, middle-aged, and old rats. Medium conditioned by fat tissue, as well as preadipocytes, from old rats impeded lipid accumulation by preadipocytes from young animals. More TNFα was released by preadipocytes from old than young rats. Differences in TNFα-converting enzyme, TNFα degradation, or the presence of macrophages in cultures were not responsible. TNFα induced rat preadipocyte CHOP expression. CHOP was higher in undifferentiated preadipocytes from old than younger animals. Over-expression of CHOP in young rat preadipocytes inhibited lipid accumulation. TNFα short interference RNA reduced CHOP and partially restored lipid accumulation in old rat preadipocytes. CHOP normally increases during late differentiation, potentially modulating the process. This late increase in CHOP was not affected substantially by aging: CHOP was similar in differentiating preadipocytes and fat tissue from old and young animals. Hypoglycemia, which normally causes an adaptive increase in CHOP, was less effective in inducing CHOP in preadipocytes from old than younger animals. Thus increased TNFα release by undifferentiated preadipocytes with elevated basal CHOP contributes to impaired adipogenesis with aging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fat depots vary in size, function, and potential contribution to disease. Since fat tissue turns over throughout life, preadipocyte characteristics could contribute to this regional variation. To address whether preadipocytes from different depots are distinct, we produced preadipocyte strains from single abdominal subcutaneous, mesenteric, and omental human preadipocytes by stably expressing human telomere reverse transcriptase (hTERT). These strains could be subcultured repeatedly and retained capacity for differentiation, while primary preadipocyte adipogenesis and replication declined with subculturing. Primary omental preadipocytes, in which telomeres were longest, replicated more slowly than mesenteric or abdominal subcutaneous preadipocytes. Even after 40 population doublings, replication, abundance of the rapidly replicating preadipocyte subtype, and resistance to tumor necrosis factor α-induced apoptosis were highest in subcutaneous, intermediate in mesenteric, and lowest in omental hTERT-expressing strains, as in primary preadipocytes. Subcutaneous hTERT-expressing strains accumulated more lipid and expressed more adipocyte fatty acid-binding protein (aP2), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ2, and CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein a than omental cells, as in primary preadipocytes, while hTERT abundance was similar. Thus, despite dividing 40 population doublings, hTERT strains derived from single preadipocytes retained fat depot--specific cell dynamic characteristics, consistent with heritable processes contributing to regional variation in fat tissue function. Diabetes 55:2571-2578, 2006 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Preadipocyte differentiation capacity declines between middle and old age. Expression of the adipogenic transcription factors, CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein (C/EBP) α and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ), is lower in differentiating preadipocytes from old than young animals, although no age-related changes occur in C/EBPβ mRNA, which is upstream of C/EBPα and PPARγ. C/EBPβ-liver-enriched inhibitory protein (C/EBPβ-LIP), a truncated C/EBPβ isoform that is a dominant inhibitor of differentiation, increases with aging in rat fat tissue and preadipocytes. CUG triplet repeat-binding protein-1 (CUGBP1) binds to C/EBPβ mRNA, increasing C/EBPβ-LIP translation. Abundance and nucleotide binding activity of CUGBP1 increased with aging in preadipocytes. CUGBP1 overexpression in preadipocytes from young animals increased C/EBPβ-LIP and impaired adipogenesis. Decreasing CUGBP1 in preadipocytes from old rats by RNA interference reduced C/EBPβ-LIP abundance and promoted adipogenesis. Tumor necrosis factor-α, levels of which are elevated in fat tissue with aging, increased CUGBP1 protein, CUGBP1 binding activity, and C/EBPβ-LIP in preadipocytes from young rats. Thus, CUGBP1 contributes to regulation of adipogenesis in primary preadipocytes and is responsive to tumor necrosis factor-α. With aging, preadipocyte CUGBP1 abundance and activity increases, resulting in enhanced translation of the C/EBPβ-LIP isoform, thereby blocking effects of adipogenic transcription factors, predisposing preadipocytes from old animals to resist adipogenesis. Altered translational processing, possibly related to changes in cytokine milieu and activation of stress responses, may contribute to changes in progenitor differentiation and tissue function with aging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]