Blood flow in subcutaneous adipose tissue depends on skin-fold thickness

Item Type:	Article
Title:	Blood flow in subcutaneous adipose tissue depends on skin-fold thickness
Creators Name:	Adams, F. and Jordan, J. and Schaller, K. and Luft, F.C. and Boschmann, M.
Abstract:	Blood flow in subcutaneous adipose tissue is reduced in obese compared to lean subjects. Limitations in vascular supply might interfere with adipose tissue function as a metabolic and endocrine organ. We tested the hypothesis that nutritive blood flow and tissue metabolism depends on subcutaneous adipose tissue thickness even in normal-weight subjects. Sixteen young, healthy, normal-weight subjects (8 men, 8 women) were included in the study. Abdominal subcutaneous adipose thickness was assessed by skin-fold measurements. The microdialysis technique was applied for monitoring basal adipose tissue blood flow (ethanol dilution technique) and metabolism. An increase in skin-fold thickness from 15 to 45 mm and from 8 to 37 mm was associated with a linear increase in basal ethanol ratio from 0.19 to 0.63 and 0.25 to 0.75 and linear decreases in dialysate glucose concentrations from 1.95 to 0.24 mM and 1.68 to 0.29 mM, and 152 to 42 microM and 172 to 49 microM for glycerol concentrations in men and women, respectively (p < 0.05). Isoproterenol-stimulated blood flow also inversely correlated to skin-fold thickness (p < 0.05). We conclude that increased adipose tissue thickness is associated with reduced tissue perfusion and metabolism, even in lean subjects. Skin-fold thickness is an important confounding variable in metabolic studies, particularly in microdialysis experiments.
Keywords:	Microdialysis, Ethanol ratio, Glycerol, Glucose
Source:	Hormone and Metabolic Research
ISSN:	0018-5043
Volume:	37
Page Range:	68-73
Date:	1 January 2005
Official Publication:	https://doi.org/10.1055/s-2005-861156
PubMed:	View item in PubMed

Repository Staff Only: item control page