title: Visceral adipose tissue and metabolic complications of obesity are reduced in Prader-Willi syndrome female adults: evidence for novel influences on body fat distribution.
abstract: Visceral obesity is detrimental to health, but the mechanisms controlling body fat distribution are not fully understood. In premenopausal adult females (30 nonobese, 14 obese [body mass index >30 kg/m(2)]), variance in fasting insulin, glucose, insulin/glucose ratio, C-peptide/insulin ratio, triglycerides, and high-density lipoprotein/low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol ratio, were independently influenced by visceral but not total sc or abdominal sc adipose tissue, as measured by whole-body magnetic resonance imaging. Adult females with Prader-Willi syndrome (n = 13) had significantly reduced visceral adiposity, compared with obese controls (visceral/total sc adipose tissue ratio: 0.067 +/- 0.017 vs. 0.108 +/- 0.021), independent of their total adiposity (P < 0.001), or use of exogenous sex steroids. This is in contrast to that expected by their physical inactivity, hypogonadism, adult GH deficiency, and psychiatric problems. Females with Prader-Willi syndrome not receiving sex steroids (n = 8) had significantly reduced fasting insulin, insulin/glucose ratio, and triglycerides and increased C-peptide/insulin ratio, compared with obese controls, adjusting for total (P < 0.05) but not visceral adiposity (P = 0.3-0.6), supporting their association. The cause of the reduced visceral adiposity in Prader-Willi syndrome may reflect novel hormonal, hypothalamic, and/or genetic influences on body fat distribution.
authors.affiliation: Endocrine Unit, MRC Clinical Sciences Centre, London, United Kingdom. tgoldstone@yahoo.com
authors.forename: A P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Goldstone
authors.forename: E L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.forename: A E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Brynes
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Bell
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Frost
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Saeed
authors.forename: J V
authors.initials: JV
authors.lastname: Hajnal
authors.forename: J K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Howard
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Holland
authors.forename: S R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Bloom
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000502:physiology*; D000328:Adult; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D001823:Body Composition; D001827:Body Height / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006949:Hyperlipidemias / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D007006:Hypogonadism / Q000378:metabolism; D007333:Insulin Resistance; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D010641:Phenotype; D011218:Prader-Willi Syndrome / Q000150:complications / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose