title: Insulin resistance in morbid obesity: reversal with intramyocellular fat depletion.
abstract: Obesity is a frequent cause of insulin resistance and poses a major risk for diabetes. Abnormal fat deposition within skeletal muscle has been identified as a mechanism of obesity-associated insulin resistance. We tested the hypothesis that dietary lipid deprivation may selectively deplete intramyocellular lipids, thereby reversing insulin resistance. Whole-body insulin sensitivity (by the insulin clamp technique), intramyocellular lipids (by quantitative histochemistry on quadriceps muscle biopsies), muscle insulin action (as the expression of Glut4 glucose transporters), and postprandial lipemia were measured in 20 morbidly obese patients (BMI = 49 +/- 8 [mean +/- SD] kg x m(-2)) and 7 nonobese control subjects. Patients were restudied 6 months later after biliopancreatic diversion (BPD; n = 8), an operation that induces predominant lipid malabsorption, or hypocaloric diet (n = 9). At 6 months, BPD had caused the loss of 33 +/- 10 kg through lipid malabsorption (documented by a flat postprandial triglyceride profile). Despite an attained BMI still in the obese range (39 +/- 8 kg x m(-2)), insulin resistance (23 +/- 3 micromol/min per kg of fat-free mass; P < 0.001 vs. 53 +/- 13 of control subjects) was fully reversed (52 +/- 11 micromol/min per kg of fat-free mass; NS versus control subjects). In parallel with this change, intramyocellular-but not perivascular or interfibrillar-lipid accumulation decreased (1.63 +/- 1.06 to 0.22 +/- 0.44 score units; P < 0.01; NS vs. 0.07 +/- 0.19 of control subjects), Glut4 expression was restored, and circulating leptin concentrations were normalized. In the diet group, a weight loss of 14 +/- 12 kg was accompanied by very modest changes in insulin sensitivity and intramyocellular lipid contents. We conclude that lipid deprivation selectively depletes intramyocellular lipid stores and induces a normal metabolic state (in terms of insulin-mediated whole-body glucose disposal, intracellular insulin signaling, and circulating leptin levels) despite a persistent excess of total body fat mass.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Catholic University, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Aldo V
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Greco
authors.forename: Gertrude
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mingrone
authors.forename: Annalisa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Giancaterini
authors.forename: Melania
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Manco
authors.forename: Manrico
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Morroni
authors.forename: Saverio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cinti
authors.forename: Marnie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Granzotto
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Vettor
authors.forename: Stefania
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Camastra
authors.forename: Ele
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ferrannini
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015992:Body Mass Index; D004038:Diet, Reducing; D005260:Female; D005743:Gastrectomy; D006801:Humans; D007333:Insulin Resistance / Q000502:physiology*; D020738:Leptin / Q000097:blood; D050356:Lipid Metabolism; D008297:Male; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D009767:Obesity, Morbid / Q000097:blood* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D019518:Postprandial Period; D012016:Reference Values; D015431:Weight Loss
chemical_list: D020738:Leptin