GLIEMANN, J. Glucose metabolism and response to insulin of isolated fat cells and epididymal fat pads. Acta physiol. scand. 1968. 72. 481-491. The glucose uptake and the conversion of glucose 1_ 14 C to 14C-carbon dioxide and 14C-tri_ glyceride by epididymal fat pads and fat cells isolated after treatment with collagenase was studied with varying concentrations of glucose in the incubation medium. The isolated fat cells took up and metabolized slightly more glucose than the fat pads at a low concentration (0.1 mg/ml) but several fold more than the fat pads at a high concentration (1.6 mg/ml). In the presence of insulin, the isolated cells took up and metabolized 2-3 times more glucose than the fat pads at the low medium glucose concentration and about the same as the fat pads at the high medium glucose concentration. The isolated cells were about 10 times more sensitive to insulin than the fat pads. The isolated cells responded to a concentration of 1.25~U of insulin per ml and a maximal effect was obtained with a concentration of 20~U per m!. The equivalent figures for the epididymal fat pads were about 10 ",U per ml and 320~U per m!.Isolated fat cells, preincubated with insulin (100~U/ml) and then washed, were stimulated for 15-30 min whereas epididymal fat pads, similarly preincubated with insulin (1,000~U/ ml) and washed, remained fully stimulated throughout a 2 hr incubation period. The differences in glucose metabolism of isolated fat cells and epididymal fat pads could be partially explained by a limitation of the glucose diffusion into the fat pad. In addition, the isolated cells seemed more permeable to glucose than fat cells of the "intact" tissue.