Key result
Female subjects had significantly higher intramyocellular (7.8 vs 5.9) and extramyocellular (22.5 vs 18.4) lipid levels compared to males (p < 0.05).
Why the study?
Does musculoskeletal lipid metabolism differ between normal weight adult males and females as assessed by two-dimensional magnetic resonance spectroscopy?
Cross-Sectional (n=16)
Does musculoskeletal lipid metabolism differ between normal weight adult males and females as assessed by two-dimensional magnetic resonance spectroscopy?
Absolute Event Rate: 7.8% vs 5.9%
p-value: p=< 0.05
Advanced two-dimensional MRS techniques can noninvasively detect significant gender differences in musculoskeletal lipid metabolism, with females showing higher lipid content and lower unsaturation than males.
Gender differences in lipid metabolism are poorly understood and difficult to study using conventional approaches. Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) permits non-invasive investigation of lipid metabolism. We employed novel two-dimensional MRS techniques to quantify intramyocellular (IMCL) and extramyocellular (EMCL) lipid compartments and their degree of unsaturation in normal weight adult male and female subjects. Using muscle creatine (Cr) for normalization, a statistically significant (p < 0.05) increase in IMCL/Cr (7.8 ± 1.6) and EMCL/Cr (22.5 ± 3.6) for female subjects was observed (n=8), as compared to IMCL/Cr (5.9 ± 1.7) and EMCL/Cr (18.4 ± 2.64) for male subjects. The degree of unsaturation within IMCL and EMCL was lower in female subjects, 1.3 ± 0.075 and 1.04 ± 0.06, respectively, as compared to that observed in males (n=8), 1.5 ± 0.08 and 1.12 ± 0.03, respectively (p < 0.05 male vs female for both comparisons). We conclude that certain salient gender differences in lipid metabolism can be assessed noninvasively by advanced MRS approaches.
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Velan et al. (2008) conducted a cross-sectional in Healthy normal weight (n=16). Female gender vs. Male gender was evaluated on Intramyocellular lipid compartment normalized to creatine (IMCL/Cr) (p=< 0.05). Female subjects had significantly higher intramyocellular (7.8 vs 5.9) and extramyocellular (22.5 vs 18.4) lipid levels compared to males (p < 0.05).
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