Fat mass expansion in obesity occurs via adipocyte hyperplasia
(increased adipocyte number) and/or adipocyte hypertrophy (increased size of adipocytes) [30]. The latter is often associated with AT
dysfunction and inflammation [35]. Although there was no change in
the mass of the epididymal fat depot induced by cocoa treatment, the
adipocyte cell size distribution was markedly changed with an
increase in the number of smaller cells and a decrease in the number
of larger cells. Skurk et al. have reported that adipocyte size is an
important determinant of the production of cytokines including IL-6,
IL-8 and MCP-1 in AT [36]