Relation of Changes in Body Fat Distribution to Oxidative Stress

Abstract

Android fat is a surrogate measure of visceral obesity in the truncal region. Both visceral adiposity and oxidative stress (OS) are linked to cardiometabolic risk factors and clinical cardiovascular disease. However, whether body fat distribution (android vs gynoid) is associated with OS remains unknown. We hypothesized that increased android fat will be associated with greater OS. Body fat distribution and markers of OS, including plasma levels of reduced (cysteine and glutathione) and oxidized (cystine and glutathione disulfide) aminothiols, were estimated in 711 volunteers (67% female, 23% black, mean age 48 ± 11) enrolled in the Emory Georgia Tech Predictive Health study. At 1 year, 498 subjects had repeat testing. At baseline, anthropometric and fat distribution indexes, including body mass index, waist circumference, weight/hip ratio, and android and gynoid fat mass correlated with lower plasma concentrations of glutathione and higher cystine levels indicative of higher OS. At 1 year, the change in android but not gynoid fat mass or body mass index negatively correlated with the change in the plasma glutathione level after adjustment for cardiovascular risk factors. Increased body fat, specifically android fat mass, is an independent determinant of systemic OS, and its change is associated with a simultaneous change in OS, measured as plasma glutathione. In conclusion, our findings suggest that excess android or visceral fat contributes to the development of cardiovascular disease through modulating OS.

<p>The Effect of Visceral Abdominal Fat Volume on Oxidative Stress and Proinflammatory Cytokines in Subjects with Normal Weight, Overweight and Obesity</p>

“…Heval et al reports that glutathione concentration correlates inversely with the amount of various fat deposits, such as gynoid fat, android fat, and total fat. 65 Xiao et al reported that SOD correlated negatively with the VAF area. 18 Nevertheless, we found no correlation between enzymatic antioxidants and VAF volume.…”

Effects of lutein supplementation on inflammatory biomarkers and metabolic risk factors in adults with central obesity: study protocol for a randomised controlled study

“…However, as far as we are aware, well-controlled lutein supplementation is not common, and this study will be the only study of its type to be conducted in the context of central obesity. Central obesity is a state of chronic lowgrade inflammation characterised by elevated concentrations of circulating inflammatory markers, which may be a critical link between metabolic disorders such as IR and diabetes [12,33]. Therefore, individuals with central obesity also deserve attention.…”

Effects of lutein supplementation on inflammatory biomarkers and metabolic risk factors in adults with central obesity: study protocol for a randomized controlled study

“…However, as far as we are aware, well-controlled lutein supplementation is not common, and this study will be the only study of its type to be conducted in the context of central obesity. Central obesity is a state of chronic lowgrade inflammation characterized by elevated concentrations of circulating inflammatory markers, which may be a critical link between metabolic disorders such as IR and diabetes [12,33]. Therefore, individuals with central obesity also deserve attention.…”