Abdominal fat sub-depots and energy expenditure: Magnetic resonance imaging study.
We aimed to assess the association between the distinct abdominal sub-depots and resting energy expenditure (REE).



We performed magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to quantify abdominal visceral-adipose-tissue (VAT), deep-subcutaneous-adipose-tissue (deep-SAT), and superficial-subcutaneous-adipose-tissue (superficial-SAT). We measured REE by indirect-calorimetry. Non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT) [1-3 metabolic equivalents (METs)] and exercise thermogenesis (activities of 4+METS) were estimated based on 6-days of accelerometry to assess total physical activity energy expenditure (PAEE).



We studied 282 participants: 249 men [mean age = 47.4 years, body-mass-index (BMI) = 31 kg/m2, mean VAT proportion from total abdominal fat = 34.5%, mean superficial-SAT proportion from total abdominal fat = 24.3%] and 33 women (mean age = 51.2 years, BMI = 30.1 kg/m2, mean VAT proportion from total abdominal fat = 22.8%, mean superficial-SAT proportion from total abdominal fat = 37.8%). As expected, women had lower REE [by 32.4% (1488 ± 234 kcal/day vs. 1971 ± 257 kcal/day; p < 0.01)] and lower REE/kg [by 8% (19.6 ± 3 kcal/kg vs. 21.2 ± 2 kcal/kg; p < 0.01)] than men. Exercise and total PAEE were positively associated with REE/kg (p < 0.01 for both) and a positive correlation between NEAT and REE/kg was borderline (p = 0.056). Participants, in whom abdominal VAT was the dominant proportional depot, had higher REE (1964 ± 297 kcal/day vs. 1654 ± 352 kcal/day; p < 0.01) and higher REE∖kg (22.2 ± 2.3 kcal/kg/day vs. 19.6 ± 2.5 kcal/kg/day; p < 0.01) than participants in whom superficial-SAT was the largest proportional depot. In multivariate models, adjusted for age, gender and residual BMI, increased VAT proportion was independently associated with higher REE (β = 0.181; p = 0.05). Likewise, increased VAT proportion (β = 0.482; p < 0.01) remained independently associated with higher REE/kg. In this model younger age (β = -0.329; p < 0.01) was associated with higher REE/kg.



Abdominal fat distribution patterns are associated with varying levels of resting energy expenditure, potentially reflecting different metabolic rates of adipose sub-depots and providing an anatomic/anthropometric link to physiological obese sub-phenotypes.
Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, P.O.B. 653, Beer-Sheva, 8410501, Israel. Electronic address: Serfaty.dana@gmail.com.
Dana
D
Serfaty
Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, P.O.B. 653, Beer-Sheva, 8410501, Israel. Electronic address: lerner.michali@gmail.com.
Michal
M
Rein
Nuclear Research Center Negev, P.O.B 9001, Dimona, 84190, Israel. Electronic address: dan.nurit@gmail.com.
Dan
D
Schwarzfuchs
Soroka University Medical Center, P.O.B 151, Beer-Sheva, 84101, Israel. Electronic address: shelef@bgu.ac.il.
Ilan
I
Shelef
Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, P.O.B. 653, Beer-Sheva, 8410501, Israel. Electronic address: gepner@bgu.ac.il.
Yftach
Y
Gepner
Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, P.O.B. 653, Beer-Sheva, 8410501, Israel. Electronic address: nitzanbril@gmail.com.
Nitzan
N
Bril
Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, P.O.B. 653, Beer-Sheva, 8410501, Israel. Electronic address: noale86@gmail.com.
Noa
N
Cohen
Soroka University Medical Center, P.O.B 151, Beer-Sheva, 84101, Israel. Electronic address: elad234@gmail.com.
Elad
E
Shemesh
Nuclear Research Center Negev, P.O.B 9001, Dimona, 84190, Israel. Electronic address: benny@rotemi.co.il.
Benjamin
B
Sarusi
Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, P.O.B. 653, Beer-Sheva, 8410501, Israel. Electronic address: julayk@gmail.com.
Julia
J
Kovsan
Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, P.O.B. 653, Beer-Sheva, 8410501, Israel. Electronic address: shiraken5@gmail.com.
Shira
S
Kenigsbuch
Soroka University Medical Center, P.O.B 151, Beer-Sheva, 84101, Israel. Electronic address: yoash.chassidim@gmail.com.
Yoash
Y
Chassidim
Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, P.O.B. 653, Beer-Sheva, 8410501, Israel. Electronic address: golanra@bgu.ac.il.
Rachel
R
Golan
Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, P.O.B. 653, Beer-Sheva, 8410501, Israel. Electronic address: witkow@galon.org.il.
Shula
S
Witkow
Soroka University Medical Center, P.O.B 151, Beer-Sheva, 84101, Israel. Electronic address: yaakovh@bgu.ac.il.
Yaakov
Y
Henkin
Channing Division of Network Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard School of Public Health, 677 Huntington Avenue Boston, MA, 02115, USA. Electronic address: STAMPFER@hsph.harvard.edu.
Meir J
MJ
Stampfer
Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, P.O.B. 653, Beer-Sheva, 8410501, Israel. Electronic address: rudich@bgu.ac.il.
Assaf
A
Rudich
Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, P.O.B. 653, Beer-Sheva, 8410501, Israel. Electronic address: irish@bgu.ac.il.
Iris
I
Shai
D050153:Abdominal Fat / Q000502:physiology*; D050154:Adiposity; D000328:Adult; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000097:blood; D001481:Basal Metabolism; D001823:Body Composition; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002153:Calorimetry, Indirect; D003404:Creatinine / Q000097:blood; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D056128:Obesity, Abdominal / Q000097:blood / Q000503:physiopathology; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D022722:Thermogenesis; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood; D055105:Waist Circumference
D014280:Triglycerides; D003404:Creatinine; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D000410:Alanine Transaminase
Deep-subcutaneous-adipose-tissue; Non-exercise activity thermogenesis; Resting energy expenditure; Superficial-subcutaneous-adipose-tissue; Visceral-adipose-tissue