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Review
. 2008 Apr;294(4):R1111-6.
doi: 10.1152/ajpregu.00396.2007. Epub 2008 Feb 6.

Intramuscular lipid oxidation and obesity

Joseph A Houmard  1
Affiliations
Review

Intramuscular lipid oxidation and obesity

Joseph A Houmard. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol. 2008 Apr.

Abstract

There is an accumulating amount of evidence indicating that lipid oxidation is depressed in the skeletal muscle of obese individuals. Decrements in fatty acid oxidation (FAO) have been reported with obesity in models ranging from whole body measurements to isolated skeletal muscle preparations as well as in myotubes raised in culture. This reduction appears to be associated with a depression in the activities of enzymes involved in various steps of lipid oxidation, which subsequently partitions lipid entering the cell toward storage. The defect in FAO in skeletal muscle may be critical in relation to health, as a reduction in the capacity for lipid oxidation could directly or indirectly contribute to the insulin resistance commonly evident with obesity. Although less characterized, a decrement in FAO has also been linked with weight gain, which suggests that this characteristic may be an integral aspect leading to the obese state. In terms of intervention, weight loss does not seem to correct the defect in FAO with obesity. This review will provide evidence supporting a reduction in muscle FAO with obesity.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Percentage of plasma free fatty acid (FFA) uptake oxidized during basal and exercise (50% maximum O2 consumption). *Significantly decreased in extremely obese and extremely obese subjects after weight reduction (weight-reduced) compared with lean (P < 0.05). From Thyfault et al. (48).
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Decrement in fatty acid oxidation (FAO) with obesity as indicated by various methodologies used in our laboratory. Data are redrawn from Refs. , , , , . *Significantly different (P ≤ 0.05) from lean controls for the listed method.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Fatty acid partitioning [labeled oleate incorporation into triacylglycerol (TAG) divided by FAO] in myotubes cultured from skeletal muscle samples obtained from lean and obese donors (23). An increased fatty acid partitioning ratio indicates preferential portioning toward storage within the muscle cell as opposed to oxidation. The positive relationship between the FAO partitioning index of the myotubes and the body mass index of the donor was statistically significant (r2 = 0.66, P < 0.001). HSkMC, human skeletal muscle cell culture method.
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