Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2008 Feb;33(1):90-4.
doi: 10.1007/s12020-008-9051-4. Epub 2008 Mar 13.

Vitamin D(3) in fat tissue

Miriam Blum  1 , Gregory Dolnikowski, Elias Seyoum, Susan S Harris, Sarah L Booth, James Peterson, Edward Saltzman, Bess Dawson-Hughes
Affiliations

Vitamin D(3) in fat tissue

Miriam Blum et al. Endocrine. 2008 Feb.

Abstract

The literature describing vitamin D content of fat tissue is extremely limited. We conducted a pilot study that measured the concentrations of vitamin D(3) in the fat tissue and serum of obese adults. These measurements were performed using a new liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC/MS) method. The objectives of this study were: to measure and report the vitamin D(3) concentration in serum and subcutaneous fat samples from obese individuals and to examine the association of vitamin D(3) in fat with vitamin D(3) in serum. This cross-sectional study was conducted in 17 obese men and women who were scheduled to undergo gastric bypass surgery. The mean vitamin D(3) concentration in subjects' subcutaneous fat tissue samples was 102.8 +/- 42.0 nmol/kg. The mean vitamin D(3) concentration in serum was 7.78 +/- 3.99 nmol/l. Vitamin D(3) concentrations of fat tissue and serum were positively correlated (r = 0.68, P = 0.003). Consistent with previous findings in obese subjects, subjects in this study had suboptimal vitamin D status as demonstrated by a mean 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration of 43.3 +/- 15.4 nmol/l. In conclusion, fat tissue vitamin D(3) can be measured by LC/MS and is detectable in obese subjects with suboptimal vitamin D status. Compatible with the long-standing concept that fat tissue is a storage site for vitamin D, fat tissue and serum vitamin D(3) concentrations were positively correlated.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Association of serum with subcutaneous fat tissue vitamin D3 content in 17 subjects, r = 0.68, P = 0.003
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Mawer EB, Backhouse J, Holman CA, Lumb GA, Stanbury SW. The distribution and storage of vitamin D and its metabolites in human tissues. Clin Sci. 1972;43:413–431. - PubMed
    1. Lawson DE, Douglas J, Lean M, Sedrani S. Estimation of vitamin D3 and 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 in muscle and adipose tissue of rats and man. Clin Chim Acta. 1986;157:175–181. - PubMed
    1. Rosenstreich SJ, Rich C, Volwiler W. Deposition in and release of vitamin D3 from body fat: evidence for a storage site in the rat. J Clin Invest. 1971;50:679–687. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Brouwer DA, van Beek J, Ferwerda H, et al. Rat adipose tissue rapidly accumulates and slowly releases an orally-administered high vitamin D dose. Br J Nutr. 1998;79:527–532. - PubMed
    1. Liel Y, Ulmer E, Shary J, Hollis BW, Bell NH. Low circulating vitamin D in obesity. Calcif Tiss Int. 1988;43:199–201. - PubMed

Publication types

Substances