Diabetes, Vol 49, Issue 10 1709-1713, Copyright © 2000 by American Diabetes Association

ARTICLES

Impaired capacity to lose visceral adipose tissue during weight reduction in obese postmenopausal women with the Trp64Arg beta3-adrenoceptor gene variant

A Tchernof, RD Starling, A Turner, AR Shuldiner, JD Walston, K Silver and ET Poehlman
Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Vermont, Burlington 05405, USA.

Controversy exists regarding the association between the Trp64Arg variant of the beta3-adrenoceptor gene and visceral obesity. The cross-sectional nature of most studies, the modest effect of the variant, and sex or ethnic differences between groups have contributed to discrepancies among investigations. To overcome these confounding factors, we examined the effect of the Trp64Arg variant on total and visceral adipose tissue loss, insulin sensitivity, and cardiovascular disease risk factors in response to weight reduction in obese older women. A total of 24 women (age 57 +/- 4 years), including 1 Trp64Arg homozygote, 10 Trp64Arg heterozygotes, and 13 normal homozygotes, were admitted to a weight reduction program of 13 +/- 3 months, with weight and nutritional intake stabilization established before testing. Total and regional adiposity were measured with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and computed tomography, insulin sensitivity was measured by the hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp technique, and a blood lipid profile was obtained. No baseline differences were noted in adiposity measurements, glucose disposal, and lipid profiles among carriers and noncarriers of the variant allele. In response to weight loss, carriers and noncarriers of the Trp64Arg allele had similar reductions in body weight (-16.4 +/- 5.0 vs. -14.1 +/- 6.2 kg, NS) and body fat (-10.0 +/- 5.2 vs. -11.5 +/- 3.9 kg, NS). However, loss of visceral adipose tissue was 43% lower in carriers of the Trp64Arg allele compared with noncarriers (-46 +/- 27 vs. -81 +/- 51 cm2, P = 0.05). Furthermore, there was less improvement in the total cholesterol-to-HDL cholesterol ratio (-0.18 +/- 0.54 vs. -0.72 +/- 0.56, P = 0.04) in carriers compared with noncarriers of the allele. Although glucose disposal improved in both groups, there was no difference in the magnitude of improvement between carriers and noncarriers of the variant allele. In conclusion, older obese women carrying the Trp64Arg beta3-adrenoceptor gene variant have an impaired capacity to lose visceral adipose tissue in response to prolonged caloric restriction. Despite these genetic differences in loss of intraabdominal adipose tissue, improvement in glucose disposal was similar between groups.
CiteULike    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				M. Tiikkainen, R. Bergholm, A. Rissanen, A. Aro, I. Salminen, M. Tamminen, K. Teramo, and H. Yki-Jarvinen Effects of equal weight loss with orlistat and placebo on body fat and serum fatty acid composition and insulin resistance in obese women Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, January 1, 2004; 79(1): 22 - 30. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. J. May, R. B. Marienfeld, and S. Ghosh Characterization of the Ikappa B-kinase NEMO Binding Domain J. Biol. Chem., November 22, 2002; 277(48): 45992 - 46000. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. Tchernof, A. Nolan, C. K. Sites, P. A. Ades, and E. T. Poehlman Weight Loss Reduces C-Reactive Protein Levels in Obese Postmenopausal Women Circulation, February 5, 2002; 105(5): 564 - 569. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				W. F. DeNino, A. Tchernof, I. J. Dionne, M. J. Toth, P. A. Ades, C. K. Sites, and E. T. Poehlman Contribution of Abdominal Adiposity to Age-Related Differences in Insulin Sensitivity and Plasma Lipids in Healthy Nonobese Women Diabetes Care, May 1, 2001; 24(5): 925 - 932. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				I. J. Dionne, A. N. Turner, A. Tchernof, T. I. Pollin, D. Avrithi, D. Gray, A. R. Shuldiner, and E. T. Poehlman Identification of an Interactive Effect of {beta}3- and {alpha}2b-Adrenoceptor Gene Polymorphisms on Fat Mass in Caucasian Women Diabetes, January 1, 2001; 50(1): 91 - 95. [Abstract] [Full Text]