Effect of cell size on epinephrine- and ACTH-induced fatty acid release from isolated fat cells.

Free fatty acid release from fat cells, obtained from epididymal adipose tissue of rats of different sizes, was found to be dependent on the cell surface area, regardless of the age of the animals. The same result was found with cells of different sizes from the same animal. These results, when related to in vivo conditions, would indicate that for the same adipose tissue mass, activity would decrease with increasing cell size. On the other hand, the total activity of a given tissue would increase by increasing the size of its cells.