Adipose tissue triglyceride turnover, de novo lipogenesis, and cell proliferation in humans measured with 2H2O

The turnover of adipose tissue components (lipids and cells) and the pathways of adipose lipid deposition have been difficult to measure in humans. We apply here a (2)H(2)O long-term labeling technique for concurrent measurement of adipose-triglyceride (TG) turnover, cell (DNA) proliferation, and de novo lipogenesis (DNL). Healthy subjects drank (2)H(2)O (70 ml/day) for 5-9 wk. Subcutaneous adipose tissue aspirates were taken (gluteal, thigh, and flank depots). Deuterium incorporation into TG glycerol (representing all-source TG synthesis), TG palmitate (representing DNL, by mass isotopomer distribution analysis), and DNA (representing cell proliferation) was measured by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Subjects tolerated the protocol well, and body (2)H(2)O enrichments were stable. Mean TG-glycerol fractional synthesis was 0.12 (i.e., 12%) with a range of 0.03-0.32 after 5 wk and 0.20 (range 0.08-0.49) after 9 wk (TG half-life 200-270 days). Label decay measurements 5-8 mo after discontinuing (2)H(2)O gave similar turnover estimates. Net lipolysis (TG turnover) was 50-60 g/day. DNL contribution to adipose-TG was 0.04 after 9 wk, representing approximately 20% of newly deposited TG. Cell proliferation was 0.10-0.17 after 9 wk (half-life 240-425 days). In summary, long-term (2)H(2)O administration to human subjects allows measurement of the dynamics of adipose tissue components. Turnover of all elements is slow, and DNL contributes approximately 20% of new TG.