Chapters authored
Cellularity Description of Adipose Depots in Domesticated Animals
Cellularity of adipose tissue in domesticated animals varies not only with species, sex, age and management conditions but also with depot. Differences in depots are important in animal production because of the economic and welfare implications and in humans in relation to obesity. The final amount of fat and its composition depends on the differentiation of mesenchymal multipotent precursor cells into mature adipocytes (adipogenesis) capable of fatty acid and triglyceride synthesis (lipogenesis), both processes being regulated by different key adipogenic and lipogenic genes, some of are well known and have been described. Histologically, differences can be classified as hyperplasia (an increase in adipocyte number) and hypertrophy (an increase in adipocyte size), processes that can produce adipocyte size distributions that are not necessarily Gaussian. A detailed description of the type of adipocyte size distribution can help distinguish the different adipocyte populations within depots and characterise each not only in terms of the size but also the number of the constituting cells. This description can help better understand the development and role of the different depots. It can also help when analysing causal relationships with adipogenic drivers and lipogenic enzymes involved in lipid metabolism.
Part of the book: Adipose Tissue