Glycerolipid Biosynthesis in Rat Adipose Tissue

The effect of insulin on adipose tissue triglyceride formation was investigated. Triglyceride formation was measured in the presence of [14C]-glycerol-3-phosphate, palmitate, ATP, CoA and Mg2+ with adipose tissue homogenate as an enzyme source. Glycerolipid formation by the homogenates prepared from adipose fragments incubated in the presence of insulin for short time (90 min at 37 °C) did not appreciably differ from those incubated.in the absence of insulin. However, tissue homogenates prepared from rats treated with insulin for 7 or 14 days showed significantly greater rates of glycerolipid formation compared to control animals. Streptozotocin treatment also resulted in increased rates of glycerolipid formation in adipose tissue. These results suggest that a factor common to insulin excess or deficiency may be responsible for the increased rates of adipose glycerolipid formation under these two experimental conditions.