The study aimed to compare the effect of 100 μM docosahexaenoic acid and oleic acid alone, and as a combination in immature and already mature 3T3-L1. The cells were subjected to adipogenic induction for 2 days and then were maintained in a high glucose culture medium supplemented with 10 μg/mL of insulin for additional 16 days. The treatment with docosahexaenoic acid and oleic acid lasted 9 days in total, as half of the cells were treated during induction (from day 1 to 9), and the rest—after reaching maturity (day 9–18). The palmitic fatty acid was used as a positive control. Applied in immature adipocytes, docosahexaenoic acid prevented intracellular neutral lipid deposition and reduced lipolysis upon well-preserved glucose utilization. At the same time, oleic acid alone or combined with docosahexaenoic acid increased lipid accumulation and slightly attenuated lipolysis only related to the palmitic fatty acid-treated group. However, free fatty acids application in mature adipocytes did not cause any beneficial effect. They elevated lipolysis rate compared to the induced control, which in vivo might be a predisposing factor for ectopic fat accumulation. The results emphasized that free fatty acids’ impact on adipocyte metabolism was highly affected by their maturation stage and should be considered in anti-obesity strategies based on free fatty acids signaling modulations.
Cite this article as: Ivanova, Zh., Grigorova, N., Vachkova, E., Tacheva, T., & Georgiev, I. P., (2022). Docosahexaenoic and oleic acid dissimilarly modulate lipid metabolism of immature and already mature adipocytes in vitro. Acta Veterinaria Eurasia, 49(1), 19-25.