title: Influence of age on size and number of fat cells in the epididymal depot.
abstract: The extensive literature on the effect of rat age on the size and number of adipocytes in adipose tissue depots relates solely to young developing rats and young adults. Therefore a study was carried out in our laboratory on the cellular characteristics of the epididymal depot of the Fisher 344 strain of rats through virtually the entire life-span. Collagenase digests of this depot prepared from rats of 9, 13, 26, 52, 104, and 130 wk of age yield a population of cells with diameters greater than 30 mum identified as adipocytes or "fat cells." A remarkably complex pattern of changes in both the size and the number of these fat cells in the epididymal depot occurred through the life-span of the rats. The epididymal depots also contain some cells with diameters around 10 mum which have a morphology similar to that of the classic adipocytes; such cells may be preadipocytes.
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000032:analysis / Q000166:cytology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D000375:Aging; D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight; D002452:Cell Count; D004822:Epididymis; D008297:Male; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D009929:Organ Size; D051381:Rats; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D014280:Triglycerides