Visceral Fat Composition

[Colin Nordstrom]

Does anyone know or has anyone researched the composition of visceral fat? Can it be determined that it has a PUFA-based triglyceride backbone? If not, then what is the anatomical difference between a clump of visceral vs a clump of subcutaneous fat?

There has to be an anatomical reason visceral fat produces all these crazy adipokines. Science consensus states visceral fat is bad physiologically. I get that, but why is it bad anatomically?

 

[x-ray peat]

The clinical importance of visceral adiposity: a critical review of methods for visceral adipose tissue analysis

 

[Colin Nordstrom]

That study doesn't answer my question--what is visceral fat?

 

[x-ray peat]

Your right I posted before getting to the end. I just found this article and it looks like visceral fat produces more TRIP-Br2 which blocks lipolysis than subcutaneous fat and more inflammation when stressed but I don't think they know why.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/04/160425161349.htm
the full paper
The obesity-induced transcriptional regulator TRIP-Br2 mediates visceral fat endoplasmic reticulum stress-induced inflammation
"The intimate link between location of fat accumulation and metabolic disease risk and depot-specific differences is well established, but how these differences between depots are regulated at the molecular level remains largely unclear. Here we show that TRIP-Br2 mediates endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress-induced inflammatory responses in visceral fat. Using in vitro, ex vivo and in vivo approaches, we demonstrate that obesity-induced circulating factors upregulate TRIP-Br2 specifically in visceral fat via the ER stress pathway. We find that ablation of TRIP-Br2 ameliorates both chemical and physiological ER stress-induced inflammatory and acute phase response in adipocytes, leading to lower circulating levels of inflammatory cytokines. Using promoter assays, as well as molecular and pharmacological experiments, we show that the transcription factor GATA3 is responsible for the ER stress-induced TRIP-Br2 expression in visceral fat. Taken together, our study identifies molecular regulators of inflammatory response in visceral fat that—given that these pathways are conserved in humans—might serve as potential therapeutic targets in obesity."

 

[Colin Nordstrom]

If a study cannot be found, then this a huge scientific problem. Would uncovering the difference between these two types of fat be incriminating to the "saturated fat is bad, PUFA is good" paradigm?

Seems like visceral fat would have PUFA substrates; and subcutaneous fat would have saturated fat substrates.

 

[x-ray peat]

If a study cannot be found, then this a huge scientific problem. Would uncovering the difference between these two types of fat be incriminating to the "saturated fat is bad, PUFA is good" paradigm?

I dont think that there is a difference in composition or they would have said so to explain the very big difference in metabolic effects each has. Testing the composition of each was probably the first thing they did long ago and I bet that they're the same. The last link I gave talks about the difference in gene expressions that is dependent on location. It seem visceral fat produces more of the bad proteins and cytokines.

 

[Colin Nordstrom]

Apparently not from this study. This shows that subcutaneous fat does show more saturated properties. Sorry I can't post links.

Int Journal Obes 2013 Apr;37(4):620-2. doi: 10.1038/ijo.2012.72. Epub 2012 May 29.
Deep subcutaneous adipose tissue is more saturated than superficial subcutaneous adipose tissue.

 

[x-ray peat]

Apparently not from this study. This shows that subcutaneous fat does show more saturated properties. Sorry I can't post links.

Int Journal Obes 2013 Apr;37(4):620-2. doi: 10.1038/ijo.2012.72. Epub 2012 May 29.
Deep subcutaneous adipose tissue is more saturated than superficial subcutaneous adipose tissue.

you may be onto something. I just found this
Site-specific differences in the fatty acid composition of abdominal adipose tissue in an obese population from a Mediterranean area: relation with... - PubMed - NCBI

Site-specific differences in the fatty acid composition of abdominal adipose tissue in an obese population from a Mediterranean area: relation with dietary fatty acids, plasma lipid profile, serum insulin, and central obesity

for an obese population "There were important differences in fatty acid composition between tissue sites: saturated fatty acids were higher and monounsaturated fatty acids were lower in perivisceral than in subcutaneous fat (P < 0.05)."

So there is more SFA in visceral fat than sub cutaneous fat. I also read in another study that ingestion of more SFAs leads to more visceral fat. I am curious what Ray has to say on visceral fat and SFAs

 

[Colin Nordstrom]

I just sent an email to Dr. Jesper Lundbom at Univ of Helsinki, the author of my posted study, for his input.

 

[Colin Nordstrom]

thanks xray. i'm going to spend some time with that study. very interesting.

 

[x-ray peat]

I just sent an email to Dr. Jesper Lundbom at Univ of Helsinki, the author of my posted study, for his input.

Like it. Just to be clear your study is comparing deep subcutaneous fat with superficial subcutaneous fat but doesn't talk about visceral fat.

 

[x-ray peat]

thanks xray. i'm going to spend some time with that study. very interesting.

thanks for the post and the ideas. I find it interesting as well

 

[Colin Nordstrom]

I quote from the study: "There is conflicting information about differences between the fatty acid composition of subcutaneous and deep visceral adipose tissue."

 

[Colin Nordstrom]

Yeah, Lundbom's study is only looking at subcutaneous, which is contradicting the study you posted. This is very interesting.

 

[x-ray peat]

I dont think it is contradicting the last study I posted. My take is that saturated fat content in visceral fat>deep subcutaneous> superficial subcutaneous. I think my study was blaming SFAs for the bad effects too.

 

[Colin Nordstrom]

But if PUFA is at the root of visceral fat issues, then that makes no sense. Why would SUFA be found in pathological tissue?

 

[Colin Nordstrom]

Increase in Adipose Tissue Linoleic Acid of US Adults in the Last Half Century1,2
Stephan J Guyenet3 and Susan E Carlson4*

Interesting study here. Could it be the PUFA is being stored in subcutaneous fat, then elevated cortisol levels are transferring the PUFA into visceral fat stores to create pathological consequences? Seems that one of the functions of cortisol is to mobilize fat between fat storage sites (via its effect on lipoprotein lipase).

 

[x-ray peat]

These scientists are saying the opposite. That increased SFA consumption leads to higher visceral fat and the higher SFA in visceral fat is what is causing the metabolic syndrome issues.
This is probably the most contrarian issue that Ray talks about.

 

[Kyle M]

Visceral fat tends to be more saturated because it's closer to the body's core and therefore warmer. I don't think visceral fat causes the problems associated with it, but is just another symptom of the deeper, prior cause. That being a misregulated metabolism.

 

[Colin Nordstrom]

Visceral fat tends to be more saturated because it's closer to the body's core and therefore warmer. I don't think visceral fat causes the problems associated with it, but is just another symptom of the deeper, prior cause. That being a misregulated metabolism.

Don't really understand your statement. Visceral fat produces all the inflammatory adipokines. I don't think I'm making that up. That is proven anatomical science. How can you see a deeper cause than metabolism? PUFAs are being ingested, they are being stored (somewhere), and they are contributing to hormonal/metabolic disturbances. Please enlighten me on how this is a symptom and not the cause.