Editing Adipocyte (section)

===Cell turnover===

Fat cells in some mice have been shown to drop in count due to fasting and other properties were observed when exposed to cold.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Ding H, Zheng S, Garcia-Ruiz D, Hou D, Wei Z, Liao Z, Li L, Zhang Y, Han X, Zen K, Zhang CY, Li J, Jiang X | display-authors = 6 | title = Fasting induces a subcutaneous-to-visceral fat switch mediated by microRNA-149-3p and suppression of PRDM16 | journal = Nature Communications | volume = 7 | pages = 11533 | date = May 2016 | pmid = 27240637 | pmc = 4895052 | doi = 10.1038/ncomms11533 | bibcode = 2016NatCo...711533D }}</ref>

If the adipocytes in the body reach their maximum capacity of fat, they may replicate to allow additional fat storage.

{{blockquote|Adult rats of various strains became obese when they were fed a highly palatable diet for several months. Analysis of their adipose tissue morphology revealed increases in both adipocyte size and number in most depots. Reintroduction of an ordinary [[chow diet]]<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Warden CH, Fisler JS | title = Comparisons of diets used in animal models of high-fat feeding | journal = Cell Metabolism | volume = 7 | issue = 4 | pages = 277 | date = April 2008 | pmid = 18396128 | pmc = 2394560 | doi = 10.1016/j.cmet.2008.03.014 | quote = Regular chow is composed of agricultural byproducts, such as ground wheat, corn, or oats, alfalfa and soybean meals, a protein source such as fish, and vegetable oil and is supplemented with minerals and vitamins. Thus, chow is a high fiber diet containing complex carbohydrates, with fats from a variety of vegetable sources. Chow is inexpensive to manufacture and is palatable to rodents. }}</ref> to such animals precipitated a period of weight loss during which only mean adipocyte size returned to normal. Adipocyte number remained at the elevated level achieved during the period of weight gain.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Faust IM, Johnson PR, Stern JS, Hirsch J | title = Diet-induced adipocyte number increase in adult rats: a new model of obesity | journal = The American Journal of Physiology | volume = 235 | issue = 3 | pages = E279–E286 | date = September 1978 | pmid = 696822 | doi = 10.1152/ajpendo.1978.235.3.E279 | s2cid = 7744250 }}</ref>
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According to some reports and textbooks, the number of adipocytes can increase in childhood and adolescence, though the amount is usually constant in adults. Individuals who become obese as adults, rather than as adolescents, have no more adipocytes than they had before.<ref name="ReferenceA">{{cite journal | vauthors = Spalding KL, Arner E, Westermark PO, Bernard S, Buchholz BA, Bergmann O, Blomqvist L, Hoffstedt J, Näslund E, Britton T, Concha H, Hassan M, Rydén M, Frisén J, Arner P | display-authors = 6 | title = Dynamics of fat cell turnover in humans | journal = Nature | volume = 453 | issue = 7196 | pages = 783–787 | date = June 2008 | pmid = 18454136 | doi = 10.1038/nature06902 | s2cid = 4431237 | bibcode = 2008Natur.453..783S }}</ref>

{{blockquote|People who have been fat since childhood generally have an inflated number of fat cells. People who become fat as adults may have no more fat cells than their lean peers, but their fat cells are larger. In general, people with an excess of fat cells find it harder to lose weight and keep it off than the obese who simply have enlarged fat cells.<ref name = "Pool_2001">{{cite book | vauthors = Pool R | title = Fat: fighting the obesity epidemic | publisher = Oxford University Press | location = Oxford [Oxfordshire] | year = 2001 | pages = [https://archive.org/details/fatfightingobesi00pool/page/68 68] | isbn = 978-0-19-511853-7 | url-access = registration | url = https://archive.org/details/fatfightingobesi00pool/page/68 }}</ref>
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Body fat cells have regional responses to the overfeeding that was studied in adult subjects. In the upper body, an increase of adipocyte size correlated with upper-body fat gain; however, the number of fat cells was not significantly changed. In contrast to the upper body fat cell response, the number of lower-body adipocytes did significantly increase during the course of experiment. Notably, there was no change in the size of the lower-body adipocytes.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Tchoukalova YD, Votruba SB, Tchkonia T, Giorgadze N, Kirkland JL, Jensen MD | title = Regional differences in cellular mechanisms of adipose tissue gain with overfeeding | journal = Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America | volume = 107 | issue = 42 | pages = 18226–18231 | date = October 2010 | pmid = 20921416 | pmc = 2964201 | doi = 10.1073/pnas.1005259107 | doi-access = free }}</ref>

Approximately 10% of fat cells are renewed annually at all adult ages and levels of body mass index without a significant increase in the overall number of adipocytes in adulthood.<ref name="ReferenceA"/>