Non-esterified fatty acid concentrations are independently associated with hepatic steatosis in obese subjects

• Published in: Diabetologia 2006, Vol.49 (1), p.141-148
• Main Authors: Holt, H. B, Wild, S. H, Wood, P. J, Zhang, J, Darekar, A. A, Dewbury, K, Poole, R. B, Holt, R. I. G, Phillips, D. I, Byrne, C. D
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Abdomen - anatomy & histology; Absorptiometry, Photon; Adipose Tissue - anatomy & histology; Biological and medical sciences; Blood Pressure; Cross-Sectional Studies; Diabetes. Impaired glucose tolerance; Endocrine pancreas. Apud cells (diseases); Endocrinopathies; Etiopathogenesis. Screening. Investigations. Target tissue resistance; Fatty Acids, Nonesterified - blood; fatty liver; Fatty Liver - blood; Fatty Liver - complications; Fatty Liver - physiopathology; Gastroenterology. Liver. Pancreas. Abdomen; Glucose Tolerance Test; Humans; insulin resistance; Liver. Biliary tract. Portal circulation. Exocrine pancreas; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Medical sciences; Metabolic diseases; metabolic syndrome; Middle Aged; Miscellaneous; Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis; Non-esterified fatty acids; Obesity; Obesity - blood; Obesity - complications; Obesity - physiopathology; Other diseases. Semiology; Other metabolic disorders; Oxygen Consumption; visceral fat
• ISSN: 0012-186X; 1432-0428
• DOI: 10.1007/s00125-005-0070-x

Aims/hypothesis We tested the hypothesis that NEFA concentrations are higher in obese subjects with fatty liver than in obese subjects without fatty liver. Materials and methods We recruited 22 obese (BMI>30 kg/m²) men aged 42-64 years, in whom liver fat was assessed by ultrasound and classified into categories of no, mild to moderate and severe fatty liver by two independent radiologists. Regional and visceral abdominal fat were assessed by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and magnetic resonance imaging, and endogenous glucose production, whole-body glucose disposal during an insulin clamp, and NEFA concentrations were measured, along with NEFA suppression (percent (%) suppression and insulin sensitivity index for NEFA during an OGTT). Results Seven subjects had no evidence of fatty liver, nine had mild or moderate fatty liver and six had severe fatty liver. The amount of visceral fat was not associated with the degree of fatty liver. Whole-body glucose disposal was inversely associated with fatty liver (38.4, 26.5 and 23.9 μmol kg-¹ min-¹ for the groups with no fatty liver, mild to moderate fatty liver and severe fatty liver, respectively, p=0.004). NEFA suppression during the OGTT was decreased (62.5, 50.8 and 41%, p=0.03, for no, mild to moderate, and severe fatty liver, respectively) and the insulin sensitivity index for NEFA was decreased (0.80, 0.40 and 0.34, p