title: Increased insulin resistance and fat cell lipolysis in obese but not lean women with a high waist/hip ratio.
abstract: Increased lipolysis in abdominal adipocytes has been suggested to be of importance for the insulin resistance typical for abdominal obesity. In order to differentiate between fat distribution, measured as waist/hip ratio (WHR), and amount of body fat, glucose disposal during a euglycaemic clamp as well as lipolysis in isolated cells from abdominal and gluteo-femoral regions were studied in 20 obese and 20 lean postmenopausal women with a high (n = 10) and low (n = 10) WHR, respectively. The lipolytic response was increased in cells from obese women irrespective of region. Furthermore, lipolysis was enhanced in abdominal compared with the gluteo-femoral cells in obese women with a high WHR. Fasting blood glucose and insulin were increased in both groups of obese women while the degree of insulin resistance was most pronounced in the obese women with a high WHR. It is concluded that increased body fat is associated with both insulin resistance and increased lipolysis, and that this relationship is stronger in the presence of a high WHR. A high WHR may increase the expression of obesity as a risk for insulin resistance and this may be mediated through an increased lipolytic rate.
authors: Department of Medicine II, Sahlgrenska Hospital, University of Götteborg, Sweden.
authors: K
authors: K
authors: Landin
authors: P
authors: P
authors: Lönnroth
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Krotkiewski
authors: G
authors: G
authors: Holm
authors: U
authors: U
authors: Smith
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood; D007333:Insulin Resistance / Q000502:physiology*; D008066:Lipolysis / Q000502:physiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D013008:Somatotypes
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D007328:Insulin