Fluorometric Measurements of Lipase Activities in the Adipose Tissue of Infants and Children.

Abstract

Summary: Using a fluorometric assay method, the activities of acid lipase and neutral lipase were measured in isolated adipose cells obtained from 41 infants and children. The values of the activities of both lipases were directly correlated and both increased with age and cell size, suggesting that the control of lipid mobilization in the adipose cell may be partially related to these lipases. Since body weight ultimately depends on the size of the adipose depot and since the activities of these lipases reflect the size of that depot, determination of these enzymes may be useful in the assessment of the nutritional state in severe dysnutrition such as in grade IV malnutrition where they may help to focus attention on the affected children with the greatest need for expert hospital-based care.