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Enhanced glycerol 3-phosphate dehydrogenase activity in adipose tissue of obese humans

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Abstract

The primary purpose of this investigation was to determine whether adipose tissue glycerol 3-phosphate dehydrogenase activity is associated with human obesity. The data presented in this paper indicate that the glycerol 3-phosphate dehydrogenase activity in adipose tissue from morbidly obese subjects is approximately 2-fold higher than from lean individuals. Moreover, positive correlation between adipose tissue glycerol 3-phosphate dehydrogenase activity and body mass index (BMI) (r = 0.5; p < 0.01) was found. In contrast, the adipose tissue fatty acid synthase (FAS) and ATP-citrate lyase (ACL) activities in morbidly obese patients are significantly lower than in lean subjects. Furthermore, negative correlation between adipose tissue FAS activity and BMI (r = –0.3; p < 0.05) as well as between ACL activity and BMI (r = –0.3; p < 0.05) was found.

These data indicate that elevated glycerol 3-phosphate dehydrogenase might contribute to the increase of triacylglycerol (TAG) synthesis in obese subjects, however, fatty acids necessary for glycerol 3-phosphate esterification must be derived (because of lower FAS and ACL activities) mainly from TAG in circulating lipoproteins formed in liver (VLDL), and/or from the intake with food (chylomicrons).

The conclusion is, that the enhanced activity of glycerol 3-phosphate dehydrogenase, and hence the generation of more glycerol 3-phosphate in adipose tissue offers a novel explanation for increased TAG production in adipose tissue of obese subjects.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biochemistry, Medical University of Gdansk, Debinki 1, 80-211, Gdansk, Poland

    Julian Swierczynski

  2. Department of Pharmaceutical Biochemistry, Medical University of Gdansk, Gdansk, Poland

    Lidia Zabrocka

  3. Department of Biochemistry, Medical University of Gdansk, Gdansk, Poland

    Elzbieta Goyke

  4. Department of General Surgery and Transplantology, Medical University of Gdansk, Gdansk, Poland

    Sylwia Raczynska, Walenty Adamonis & Zbigniew Sledzinski

Authors
  1. Julian Swierczynski
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  2. Lidia Zabrocka
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  3. Elzbieta Goyke
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  4. Sylwia Raczynska
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  5. Walenty Adamonis
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  6. Zbigniew Sledzinski
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Swierczynski, J., Zabrocka, L., Goyke, E. et al. Enhanced glycerol 3-phosphate dehydrogenase activity in adipose tissue of obese humans. Mol Cell Biochem 254, 55–59 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1027332523114

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