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TNFα expression of subcutaneous adipose tissue in obese and morbid obese females: relationship to adipocyte LPL activity and leptin synthesis

International Journal of Obesity volume 26, pages 652–658 (2002)Cite this article

Abstract

Introduction: Tumor necrosis factor (TNFα) has been invoked as an adipostat. Accordingly, the adipose tissue expression of TNFα has been shown to be proportional to the degree of adiposity. The regulatory role of TNFα in obesity may be controlled by several mechanisms. These include the inhibitory effect on LPL activity, the mediation on glucose homeostasis or the effect on leptin. To assess the role of TNFα in obesity we measured adipocyte TNFα expression in 96 females with a wide range of adiposity and with or without type 2 diabetes. We analysed the relationship between TNFα expression, adipocyte LPL activity, insulin resistance and leptin in this population.

Results: The TNFα and leptin expression of the adipose tissue in obese and morbid obese patients were significantly higher than in controls. Obese and morbid obese patients had slightly higher levels of LPL activity, but these differences were not significant. We observed a significant relationship between adipose TNFα expression and body mass index (r=0.35, P<0.001). TNFα expression was negatively related to LPL activity (r=−0.28, P<0.05) and positively related to leptin expression (r=0.35, P<0.001).

Conclusion: Our results indicate that obese women, even those with morbid obesity, over-express TNFα in subcutaneous adipose tissue in proportion to the magnitude of the fat depot and independently of the presence of type 2 diabetes. The TNFα system may be a homeostatic mechanism that prevents further fat deposition by regulating LPL activity and leptin production.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank the staff of the Surgical Service of the Sant Joan Hospital for their cooperation, Dr A Palou and Dr P Oliver from the University of the Balearic Islands for their generous technical assistance, Dr A Bonada, I Megías and M Torrentó for their assistance in recruiting subjects and Carles Munné for preparing the manuscript. This study was supported by the Fondo de Investigación Sanitaria (FIS 99/0284) of the Ministerio de Sanidad y Consumo. Mònica Bulló received a fellowship from the Comissionat per a Universitats i Recerca de la Generalitat de Catalunya (CURGC 1999FI 00964PG).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Unitat de Nutrició Humana, Facultat de Medicina i Ciències de la Salut de Reus, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Reus, Spain

    M Bulló, P García-Lorda & J Salas-Salvadó

  2. Unitat de Bioquímica i Biología Molecular, Facultat de Biología, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain

    J Peinado-Onsurbe & JM Argilés

  3. Servei de Cirurgia, Hospital Universitari Sant Joan, Reus, Spain

    M Hernández & D Del Castillo

  4. Servei de Medicina Interna, Hospital Universitari Sant Joan, Reus, Spain

    J Salas-Salvadó

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Correspondence to J Salas-Salvadó.

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Bulló, M., García-Lorda, P., Peinado-Onsurbe, J. et al. TNFα expression of subcutaneous adipose tissue in obese and morbid obese females: relationship to adipocyte LPL activity and leptin synthesis. Int J Obes 26, 652–658 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ijo.0801977

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