Stimulation of fatty acid uptake and triglyceride synthesis in human cultured skin fibroblasts and adipocytes by a serum protein

Lipoprotein deficient serum has been shown to enhance lipid synthesis in cultured normal human skin fibroblasts incubated in the presence of oleate-albumin. The factor responsible is nondialyzable and trypsin sensitive. The stimulation is proportional to the concentration of lipoprotein deficient serum in the media and is present at all oleate concentrations and incubation times assayed. The protein has been partially purified by column chromatography to yield a Peak II fraction which stimulates triglyceride synthesis in both fibroblasts and isolated human adipocytes. The stimulation is dependent on the concentration of protein fraction and increases to an apparent saturation level of 200% in fibroblasts. Triglyceride synthesis, however, increases to a much greater extent in adipocytes and did not demonstrate saturation at the maximum Peak II protein concentration assayed. These results suggest that human serum contains a protein which stimulates fatty acid uptake and esterification by adipose tissue.