Starvation and Cellular uptake of LDL Stimulates Cell Proliferation: Is it a Reason for Fat Cell Proliferation in Obesity?

Serum depletion in culture medium stimulates cell proliferation. Serum depletion promotes cellular starvation in respect of growth factors supplied by serum. In starvation, cells consume nutrients more aggressively and this leads more cell growth and cell proliferation. This study has shown that LDL, a major constituent of fat diet, is taken up by cells exponentially high in serum deficient medium and the uptake rate increases inversely with serum concentration in the medium. The study has also shown that addition of LDL in extremely low serum fortified medium can compensate the need for cell growth/proliferation and cells get equivalent growth pattern with higher concentration of serum in the medium. The phenomena may consider as a model example for the cases of fat cell proliferation following fat intake after chronic starvation or to those having habits for periodic starvation.