Sympathetic modulation of lipolysis in subcutaneous adipose tissue: Effects of gender and energy restriction

doi:10.1016/S0022-2143(99)90051-3

Journal of Laboratory and Clinical Medicine

Volume 134, Issue 1, July 1999, Pages 33-41

https://doi.org/10.1016/S0022-2143(99)90051-3 Get rights and content

Abstract

To investigate the differences in the regulation of lipolysis between male and female obese subjects in vivo, we used an in situ microdialysis technique before and after 3 weeks of energy restriction. Using this method, we examined glycerol, glucose, and lactate responses after 5 minutes of epinephrine stimulation in the adipose tissues. Glycerol releases after the perfusion of phentolamine, orciprenaline, and propranolol were also studied. Sixteen subjects were studied (8 men, 8 women, 35 to 45 years of age, body mass index 38 to 50 kg/m²). In women, epinephrine provoked a greater glycerol release than in men in both abdominal and femoral regions (P <.05). In men and women there was a significant decrease in the concentration of glucose and a significant increase in lactate concentration after epinephrine stimulation (P <.001). After 3 weeks of energy restriction, glycerol release after epinephrine stimulation was greater in both sexes than that observed before energy restriction (P <.05). Both phentolamine and orciprenaline stimulated the release of glycerol (P <.01); phentolamine had a higher effect in women, while propranolol had no effect on glycerol release in both sexes. In summary, we have demonstrated that epinephrine provoked a greater lipolytic response in obese women in both abdominal and femoral adipose tissues. The lipolytic response was further enhanced after 3 weeks of energy restriction in each gender. The decrease in glucose concentration suggests that glucose may be reutilized for synthesis into new triacylglycerol. Knowledge about the sensitivity to lipolytic agents in subcutaneous adipose tissue may provide potential new approaches for modulating the lipolytic responses of subcutaneous adipose tissue differently in men and women. (J Lab Clin Med 1999;134:33-41)

Section snippets

Methods

Subjects were recruited from the outpatient department of the Medical Center of the University of Ulm. All subjects underwent a complete medical history and physical examination. Their weight had been stable for at least 3 months before the study. The Ethics Committee of the University of Ulm approved the study. Subjects were given a detailed description of the study, and all gave their informed consent.

Eight severely obese men and 8 severely obese women participated in the study. All subjects

Results

Weight loss after 3 weeks of energy restriction was higher in men (10.6 ± 0.8 kg) than in women (6.4 ± 0.9 kg)(P <.05). Table I shows the basal concentrations of glycerol, glucose, and lactate before and after energy restriction in the dialysate of abdominal and femoral adipose tissue.

. Basal glycerol, glucose, and lactate levels in dialysate of abdominal and femoral tissues

Empty Cell	Men	Women	Men	Men
Empty Cell	Glycerol (μmol/L)		Glucose (mmol/L)	Lactate (mmol/L)
Abdominal
Before VLCD	41.5 ± 9.5	43.0 ± 4.0	0.50 ± 0.04

Discussion

Differences in the rates of lipolysis in subcutaneous fat between men and women may help to explain the differences in fat distribution in men and women. In our study we are the first to report in vivo data demonstrating a higher lipolytic response to adrenaline stimulation in obese women than men. This result is consistent with findings reported in several previous in vitro studies on isolated fat cell cultures. They have shown that stimulation with noradrenaline18, 19 resulted in a higher

Acknowledgements

We thank Conny Engstler (Lipid Research Laboratory, Department of Medicine, University of Ulm) for technical assistance and Andreas Alt, PhD (Department of Forensic Medicine, University of Ulm), for the ethanol gas-chromatography measurements.

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Sympathetic modulation of lipolysis in subcutaneous adipose tissue: Effects of gender and energy restriction☆,☆☆

Abstract

Section snippets

Methods

Results

Discussion

Acknowledgements

J Neurosci Methods

Biochem Biophys Res Commun

Metabolism

J Lipid Res

Clin Dermatol

The degree of masculine differentiation of obesities: a factor determining predisposition to diabetes, atherosclerosis, gout and uric calculus disease

Am J Clin Nutr

The myth of diet in the management of obesity

Am J Clin Nutr

Compliance, clinical effects, and factors predicting weight reduction during a very low calorie diet regime

Scand J Prim Health Care

Effect of modest weight loss on changes in cardiovascular risk factors: are there differences between men and women or between weight loss and maintenance?

Int J Obes

Gender differences in obesity-related cardiovascular disease risk factors among participants in a weight loss programme

Int J Obes

Body composition in adipose tissue cellularity before and after jejuno-ileostomy in several obese subjects

Eur J Clin Invest

Fat cell adrenergic receptors and the control of white and brown fat cell function

J Lipid Res

Topical fat reduction

Obes Res

Differences in lipolysis between human subcutaneous and omental adipose tissue

Ann Med

Effect of short-term fasting on lipolytic responsiveness in normal and obese human subjects

Am J Physiol

Lipolysis during fasting. Decrease suppression by fasting and increased stimulation by epinephrine

J Clin Invest

Microdialysis of adipose tissue and blood for in vivo lipolysis studies

Am J Physiol

A microdialysis method allowing characterization of intercellular water space in humans

Am J Physiol

Evaluation of the microdialysis ethanol technique for monitoring of subcutaneous adipose tissue blood flow in humans

Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord

Sensitive kinetic bioluminescent assay of glycerol release from human fat cells

J Lip Res