Peripheral Adipose Tissue Protection Against Metabolic Disease

Identifying how peripheral adipose tissue protects against metabolic diseases compared to visceral adipose tissue in healthy obese persons

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Full Project Name:Roles of Subcutaneous Adipose Tissue & Adiponectin on the Pathogenicity of Visceral Adipose TissuePrincipal Investigator:Srividya Kidambi, MD, MedicineCo-Investigator:Daisy Sahoo, PhD, Medicine; Jon Gould, MD, Surgery; Mingyu Liang, PhD, PhysiologyAward Amount:$200,000

Award Date

January2016

Project Duration:24 months

Project Description Narrative:

Visceral obesity with visceral adipose tissue (VAT, or central/abdominal fat) accumulation is associated with type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and other diseases caused in part by inflammation. To help control and prevent these health conditions, emphasis has largely been put on weight loss. However, adipose tissue distribution in peripheral skin depots may not be as harmful as previously thought, and may, in fact, be protective.

If findings do point to this, they may suggest that "all obesity is not equal." Less emphasis could be placed on weight loss for certain individuals, and instead limited health care resources could be shifted to better control other cardiovascular risk factors that can be present independent of obesity.

Through this award, researchers aim to identify how peripheral adipose tissue (SAT, or subcutaneous fat) protects against metabolic diseases compared to visceral adipose tissue (VAT, or central/abdominal fat) in healthy obese persons, resulting in lower rates of metabolic diseases, such as diabetes.

Outcomes & Lessons Learned:

Enabled research team to identify innovations in obesity treatment by suggesting that not all fat is equal and that adipose tissue distribution determines the contribution of obesity to type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular risk
Recruited 55 subjects to participate in the study
Made progress in completing the sequencing for small molecules called microRNAs that control other genes
Documented preliminary research findings showing differences in expression of 46 molecules between visceral and subcutaneous adipose tissue depots.
Identified three microRNAs associated with a protective hormone secreted by fat tissue called adiponectin. Of these, researchers picked four molecules (miRs 33b, 199a, 141, and 142a) to further test their association with metabolic pathways and ultimately their role in obesity-related diseases
Identified seven microRNAs changed in relation to a subject's body mass index
Began further research to learn more about the metabolic pathways and their association with obesity-related diseases
Conducted three presentations