Dietary calories and lipids synergistically shape adipose tissue cellularity during postnatal growth.

Objective: The susceptibility to abdominal obesity and the metabolic syndrome is determined to a substantial extent during childhood and adolescence, when key adipose tissue characteristics are established. Although the general impact of postnatal nutrition is well known, it is not clear how specific dietary components drive adipose tissue growth and how this relates to the risk of metabolic dysfunction in adulthood.

Methods: Adipose tissue growth including cell proliferation was analyzed in juvenile mice upon dietary manipulation with in vivo nucleotide labeling.