Depot-specific differences in the insulin response of adipose-derived stromal cells

Visceral adiposity is more strongly linked to insulin resistance than subcutaneous adiposity. High insulin levels can be mitogenic or adipogenic to adipocytes, but little is known regarding these effects of insulin on stromal cells from visceral and subcutaneous fat depots. Consequently, we measured adipogenesis and mitosis in response to elevated insulin levels in rat adipose-derived stromal cells (ADSCs) from visceral (perirenal) and subcutaneous depots. Insulin alone, at 10 μM, did not stimulate adipogenesis in naïve perirenal visceral (pvADSCs) or subcutaneous ADSCs (scADSCs), although a significant increase in proliferation occurred in both. Adipogenesis, induced using adipocyte differentiation medium (AM), resulted in greater lipid accumulation in pvADSCs, but the associated decrease in proliferation was less than in scADSCs. Omission of insulin from AM significantly reduced lipid accumulation in pvADSCs, but had little effect in scADSC, whilst proliferation was inhibited more in scADSCs than pvADSCs. Consequently, insulin is more lipogenic and less mitogenic in differentiating pvADSCs compared to scADSCs.