Delineating Regional Differences in the Regulation of Adipose Tissue and Adipocyte Biology

Fat is located in several locations in the human body, with the majority being located under the skin. The amount of fat an individual has on their upper-body compared to their lower-body may be used to determine their risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Evidence shows that all fat might not necessarily be equal, with differences in function, storage capacity and hormone release. This thesis demonstrates that these observed differences cannot be fully explained by the natural differences in function, gene expression, or hormones released by these different fat depots.