Key result
Subcutaneous adipose tissue in adults with obesity had higher concentrations of arachidonic, eicosapentaenoic, and docosahexaenoic acids than visceral tissue, with higher levels in hyperglycemia.
Why the study?
The contribution of visceral and subcutaneous adipose tissue-specific fatty acids to metabolic dysregulation in obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus remains unclear.
Observational (n=30)
Visceral and subcutaneous adipose tissue depots differentially store polyunsaturated fatty acids depending on glycemic status in obesity, which may impact metabolic health.
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
VAT-SAT FA profile differences in obesity may signal metabolic risk; leaves open causal roles in insulin resistance and T2DM.
Abstract In obesity, fatty acid (FA) accumulation may impair AT function, promoting insulin resistance and development of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). However, the contribution of visceral AT (VAT) and subcutaneous AT (SAT) specific FAs to metabolic dysregulation in obesity and T2DM remains unclear, highlighting the importance of examining the FA composition between AT depots. This study examined differences in FA profile and lipid fractions across AT depots in individuals with obesity and hyperglycemia. The primary focus was on polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) given their relevance to cardiometabolic health. Thirty participant-matching VAT and SAT samples from bariatric surgery donors (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m 2 ) were examined and were further stratified into groups of fasted normoglycemia or hyperglycemia. For the total FA profile, the concentrations (μmol/g) of arachidonic acid (ARA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) were higher in the SAT compared to VAT depot; ARA and DHA concentrations were higher in the hyperglycemia compared to normoglycemia group. Further analysis in six different lipid fractions including triacylglycerol, diacylglycerol, monoacylglycerol, free fatty acids, phospholipid and cholesteryl esters exhibited similarly higher ARA, EPA, and DHA in the SAT compared to VAT depot. However, differences between normoglycemia and hyperglycemia groups were fraction- and FA-specific, rather than uniform across all lipid classes. These results demonstrate that VAT and SAT depots differentially store FAs as a function of glycemic status in obesity, highlighting distinct differences in PUFA metabolism and availability that may have important implications for AT function and metabolic health.
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Ziai et al. (2026) conducted an observational in Obesity and hyperglycemia (n=30). Hyperglycemia vs. Normoglycemia was evaluated on Fatty acid profile and lipid fractions across adipose tissue depots. Subcutaneous adipose tissue in adults with obesity had higher concentrations of arachidonic, eicosapentaenoic, and docosahexaenoic acids than visceral tissue, with higher levels in hyperglycemia.
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