Effects of a thiazolidinedione compound on body fat and fat distribution of patients with type 2 diabetes.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the effects of a thiazolidinedione (600 mg troglitazone) insulin-sensitizing treatment on total body fat measured by underwater weighing, on intra- and extra-abdominal fat mass using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and on anthropometric measures.


METHODS
Type 2 diabetic outpatients were studied in a double-blind randomized trial carried out at Glasgow Royal Infirmary, Scotland.


RESULTS
Groups who received troglitazone (8 men, 3 women) and placebo (8 men, 2 women) were well matched for age, BMI, total body fat percentage by underwater weighing, and intra-abdominal fat (kilograms) by MRI. After 12 weeks, body weight changes in the troglitazone group (mean +0.66 kg [95% CI -0.71 to 2.04], P = 0.31) and the placebo group (mean +0.25 kg [-0.64 to 1.13], P = 0.55) were not statistically different. Changes in total body fat with troglitazone (mean +1.02% body wt [-1.13 to 3.17], P = 0.32) and placebo (mean -0.54% body wt [-1.68 to 0.59], P = 0.31) were not significantly different. There was, however, a decrease in intra-abdominal fat mass in the troglitazone-treated group (mean -0.47 kg [-0.79 to -0.13], P = 0.01), and this was significantly different (P = 0.03) from placebo treatment (mean -0.41 kg [-0.77 to -0.05]).


CONCLUSIONS
Treatment with the thiazolidinedione troglitazone in human patients with type 2 diabetes decreases intra-abdominal fat mass but does not affect total body fat or weight. This potentially valuable effect points to a differential action on insulin sensitivity in different adipose tissue depots.
Kelly
I E
IE
Department of Human Nutrition, University of Glasgow, Glasgow Royal Infirmary, Scotland, U.K.
Han
T S
TS
Walsh
K
K
Lean
M E
ME
D000005:Abdomen; D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000187:drug effects; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001835:Body Weight; D002138:Calibration; D002839:Chromans / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010919:Placebos; D013844:Thiazoles / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D045162:Thiazolidinediones; D000077288:Troglitazone
D002839:Chromans; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents; D010919:Placebos; D013844:Thiazoles; D045162:Thiazolidinediones; D000077288:Troglitazone