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Microscopic fat cellsize measurements on frozen-cut adipose tissue in comparison with automatic determinations of osmium-fixed fat cells

1971; Elsevier BV; Volume: 12; Issue: 5 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1016/s0022-2275(20)39470-0

1539-7262

Lars Sjöström, Per Björntorp, Julie A. Vrana,

Body Composition Measurement Techniques

Diameters of fat cells in adipose tissue slices, floating in an isoosmolar solution, were measured under a microscope.The slices were obtained from percutaneous biopsies by freeze-cutting after brief formaldehyde fixation.All cells in a given part of the slice were measured, thus avoiding selection.A normal distribution of fat cell diameters could be demonstrated with this method, as has been found with previously described methods.The error of the method was 2.6% for diameter and 8.0% for weight determinations.Storage of adipose tissue at 4OC for 48 hr had no effects on cell size determinations.Results with this micrcscopic method were compared with those obtained from a previously described method for automatic determinations of osmium-fixed fat cells.The latter method was slightly modified by using a viscous electrolyte, which prevented sedimentation of large fat cells, and by using sonication to complete cell separation.The methods agreed closely.A method for calculating mean fat cell weight using osmiumfixed fat cells is described, which makes determinations of sample wet weight and ratio of lipid to wet weight unnecessary.