Resumo

Increased liver fat increases the risk of chronic metabolic diseases. This study is an exploratory secondary analysis aimed at (1) investigating whether transcriptomic responses of abdominal subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) to a high-fat-high-glucose meal challenge differ according to varying levels of liver fat accumulation and (2) identifying pathways in abdominal SAT metabolism that may be related to liver fat accumulation. We examined differences in abdominal SAT gene expression and pathway activity both at fasting and in response to a mixed-meal challenge, comparing individuals with varying levels of liver fat.
Compared to individuals with low liver fat, individuals with high liver fat have lower gene expression but a higher response of energy-related pathways in abdominal SAT at fasting and after a high-fat-high-glucose challenge. Whether this is the cause or consequence of increased liver fat storage or an early stage of insulin resistance needs to be investigated.