Influence of body fat distribution on free fatty acid metabolism in obesity

In order to determine whether differences in body fat distribution result in specific abnormalities of free fatty acid (FFA) metabolism, palmitate turnover, a measure of systemic adipose tissue lipolysis, was measured in 10 women with upper body obesity, 9 women with lower body obesity, and 8 nonobe...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Journal of clinical investigation 1989-04, Vol.83 (4), p.1168-1173
Main Authors: JENSEN, M. D, HAYMOND, M. W, RIZZA, R. A, CRYER, P. E, MILES, J. M
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adipose Tissue - physiology
Adult
Biological and medical sciences
Blood Glucose - metabolism
Body Composition
Epinephrine - administration & dosage
Fatty Acids, Nonesterified - blood
Female
Humans
Infusions, Intravenous
Insulin - blood
Kinetics
Medical sciences
Metabolic diseases
Obesity
Obesity - blood
Obesity - physiopathology
Palmitates - blood
Triglycerides - blood
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Summary:In order to determine whether differences in body fat distribution result in specific abnormalities of free fatty acid (FFA) metabolism, palmitate turnover, a measure of systemic adipose tissue lipolysis, was measured in 10 women with upper body obesity, 9 women with lower body obesity, and 8 nonobese women under overnight postabsorptive (basal), epinephrine stimulated and insulin suppressed conditions. Upper body obese women had greater (P less than 0.005) basal palmitate turnover than lower body obese or nonobese women (2.8 +/- 0.2 vs. 2.1 +/- 0.2 vs. 1.8 +/- 0.2 mumol.kg lean body mass (LBM)-1.min-1, respectively), but a reduced (P less than 0.05) net lipolytic response to epinephrine (59 +/- 7 vs. 79 +/- 5 vs. 81 +/- 7 mumol palmitate/kg LBM, respectively). Both types of obesity were associated with impaired suppression of FFA turnover in response to euglycemic hyperinsulinemia compared to nonobese women (P less than 0.005). These specific differences in FFA metabolism may reflect adipocyte heterogeneity, which may in turn affect the metabolic aberrations associated with different types of obesity. These findings emphasize the need to characterize obese subjects before studies.
ISSN:0021-9738
1558-8238
DOI:10.1172/jci113997