Lack of pronounced changes in the expression of fatty acid handling proteins in adipose tissue and plasma of morbidly obese humans

Abstract

Background/ObjectivesFatty acid handling proteins are involved in the process of accumulation of lipids in different fat tissue depots. Thus, the aim of the study was to estimate the expression of both fatty acid transport and binding proteins in the subcutaneous (SAT) and visceral adipose tissue (VAT) of patients with morbid obesity without metabolic syndrome, as well as the plasma concentrations of these transporters.Subjects/MethodsProtein (Western blotting) and mRNA (Real-time PCR) expression of selected fatty acid handling proteins was assessed in the visceral and subcutaneous adipose tissue of 30 patients with morbid obesity. The control group consisted of 10 lean age-matched patients. Plasma levels of fatty acid protein transporters were also evaluated using ELISA method. Moreover, total plasma fatty acid composition and concentration was determined by gas-liquid chromatography (GLC).ResultsSignificant increase in fatty acid translocase (FAT/CD36) mRNA (P = 0.03) and plasmalemmal (P = 0.01) expression was observed in VAT of patients with morbid obesity vs. lean subjects together with elevation of lipoprotein lipase (LPL), as well as peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) in both examined compartments of adipose tissue. Moreover, in obese subjects plasma concentration of RBP4 was markedly elevated (P = 0.04) and sCD36 level presented a tendency for an increase (P = 0.08) with concomitant lack of changes in FABP4 concentration (P > 0.05).ConclusionsFatty acid transport into adipocytes may be, at least in part, related to the increased expression of FAT/CD36 in the VAT of morbidly obese patients, which is accompanied by augmented expression of LPL, as well as PPARγ. Probably, alternations in plasma concentrations of RBP4 and sCD36 in obese patients are associated with “unhealthy” fat distribution.

Metabolic Syndrome is Associated with Ceramide Accumulation in Visceral Adipose Tissue of Women with Morbid Obesity

“…The data on FAT/CD36 in human adipose tissue are very sparse. A previous study demonstrated greater expression of FAT/CD36 in VAT in patients with obesity compared with lean patients . Fisher et al observed that the expression of FAT/CD36 was higher in patients with obesity.…”

FABP4 and omentin-1 gene expression in epicardial adipose tissue from coronary artery disease patients

“…At the same time it was shown earlier that SAT and VAT FABP4 gene expression level did not differ between normally weighing and metabolically healthy obese individuals (Garin-Shkolnik et al, 2014;Grzegorczyk et al, 2018). However, contradictory results have been published with respect to FABP4 gene expression in patients with metabolic complications and diabetes.…”

Natural Compound 3β,7β,25-trihydroxycucurbita-5,23(E)-dien-19-al from Momordica charantia Acts as PPARγ Ligand

“…In order to further characterise THCB as a potent PPARγ ligand, the effects of the compound on the expression levels of PPARγ target genes were determined in differentiated 3T3-L1 cells. The selected PPARγ target genes were lipoprotein lipase (LPL) which is involved in lipid metabolism [ 31 ] and adipocyte fatty acid binding protein (AP2) which is involved in uptake and metabolism of fatty acids as well as the modulation of specific enzymes of lipid metabolism, cell growth and differentiation [ 32 ], adiponectin which is closely associated with insulin sensitivity [ 33 ], and, fatty acid translocase (CD36), a type of membrane fatty acid handling proteins [ 34 ].These genes were also used by Jeong et al [ 35 ] to study the induction of PPARγ target genes by its ligands in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. In the gene expression experiment, THCB was used at 212 nM because this compound has shown the highest adipocyte differentiation activity at this concentration, as demonstrated in Figure 3 c.…”