The relationship between adipocytes and pollutants does not appear to be limited to molecular storage only, as pollutants follow the movements of fatty acids as they alternate between lipolysis and lipogenesis: an in vitro study in mice confirms that the presence of small quantities of benzoapyrene in the animal's food or environment gives rise to significant weight gain from the very first days of exposure. An in vitro study of isolated mouse adipocytes shows that the phenomenon is linked to a malfunction of transmembrane receptors (ß receptors, MC2-R receptors). Recent results suggest that an accumulation of pollutants in the cell membrane might affect the integrity of these particular receptors. The phenomenon's ubiquitous nature is also emphasised.