Pro-inflammatory Phospholipid Arachidonic Acid/Eicosapentaenoic Acid Ratio of Dysmetabolic Severely Obese Women

Background

Fatty acids (FAs) and adipokines such as adiponectin or interleukin-6 (IL-6) are known to modulate inflammation and the development of metabolic syndrome. Whether FA composition assessed in plasma triacylglycerols (TAGs), phospholipids (PLs) and non-esterified fatty acids (NEFAs) and adipose tissue (AT) PLs differed between dysmetabolic and non-dysmetabolic severely obese women remains to be established. Whether the plasma and/or AT arachidonic acid (AA)/eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) ratio in the PL sub-fraction may be associated with adipokine AT gene expression needs to be examined.

Methods

FA composition was measured in plasma lipid classes and in the TAG and PL sub-fractions of subcutaneous abdominal and omental ATs of severely obese women paired for age and adiposity but showing a dysmetabolic profile (n?=?13) or not (n?=?14). FA profile was assessed by gas chromatography. Plasma and AT mRNA concentrations of adiponectin and IL-6 were measured by ELISA and real-time polymerase chain reaction, respectively.

Results

Plasma adiponectin and FA concentrations in the NEFA sub-fraction were, respectively, lower and higher in dysmetabolic than in non-dysmetabolic women (p?p?p?Conclusions Metabolic dysfunction is associated with a pro-inflammatory phospholipid AA/EPA ratio in plasma and ATs, and an altered adiponectin secretion that could contribute to developing metabolic syndrome.