Depot specific endocrine control of fatty acid synthesis in adipose tissues of foetal lambs

Chronic endocrine control of fatty acid synthesis in perirenal and subcutaneous adipose tissues of foetal lambs has been investigated. Maintenance of explants of subcutaneous adipose tissue in culture for 48 hr with insulin and dexamethasone (a glucocorticoid analogue), either singly or in combination showed that the two acted synergistically to increase the rate of fatty acid synthesis. Growth hormone inhibited the ability of insulin plus dexamethasone to increase the rate of fatty acid synthesis in explants of subcutaneous adipose tissue. In contrast neither insulin nor dexamethasone either singly or together increased the rate of fatty acid synthesis in perirenal adipose tissue; growth hormone also had no effect on the rate of fatty acid synthesis in this depot. These studies show that fatty acid synthesis is under distinct endocrine control in subcutaneous and perirenal adipose tissues in foetal lambs.