Low Adipocyte Formation Is Associated With Abdominal Obesity

One of the key concepts about the deposition of visceral and ectopic fat is the inability of “healthy” subcutaneous to readily expand to accommodate excess calories. This is why people with large fat cells and those with less or no subcutaneous fat (as in partial or complete lipodystrophy) display features of the metabolic syndrome.

In line with these observations, a study by Andre Tchernof and colleagues from the University of Laval, Quebec, in a paper published in ADIPOCYTE show that low adipogenic capacity of subcutaneous adipose tissue is associated with visceral obesity, visceral adipocyte hypertrophy, and a dysmetabolic state.

The researchers studied adipocytes and preadipocytes isolated from subcutaneous and visceral fat samples from 35 women undergoing gynecological surgery and assessed body fat distribution by CT as well as fasting plasma lipids and glycemia.

Using an in vitro differentiation assay, they found that lower adipogenic rates were strongly associated with increased visceral cell size and dyslipidemia.

In addition, When matched for BMI, women with low subcutaneous preadipocyte adipogenic rates had a higher visceral adipose tissue area, omental adipocyte hypertrophy, higher VLDL-lipid content and higher fasting glycemia.

All of these findings are in line with the notion that low subcutaneous preadipocyte differentiation capacity in vitro is associated with visceral obesity, visceral adipocyte hypertrophy, and a dysmetabolic state.

Once again, as regular readers should be aware, not all fat is equal.

@DrSharma
Edmonton, AB

Lessard J, Laforest S, Pelletier M, Leboeuf M, Blackburn L, & Tchernof A (2014). Low abdominal subcutaneous preadipocyte adipogenesis is associated with visceral obesity, visceral adipocyte hypertrophy, and a dysmetabolic state. Adipocyte, 3 (3), 197-205 PMID: 25068086

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