Arachidonic acid content in adipose tissue is associated with insulin resistance in healthy children
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Published on: February 17, 2023
Luis Aldámiz-Echevarría1, José A Prieto, Fernando Andrade
1Division of Metabolism, Department of Pediatrics, Cruces Hospital and Basque University School of Medicine, Bilbao, Spain. kaldamiz@hcru.osakidetza.net
Insights
In healthy children, increased insulin resistance is linked to higher levels of arachidonic acid in adipose tissue. This finding highlights the role of fatty acid composition in pediatric metabolic health.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Endocrinology
- Nutritional Biochemistry
- Metabolic Health
Background:
- Membrane structural lipid fatty acid composition, influenced by diet, is linked to insulin action.
- Understanding these relationships in children is crucial for metabolic health.
- Adipose tissue and skeletal muscle lipids are key indicators of metabolic status.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between adipose tissue and skeletal muscle phospholipid fatty acid profiles and markers of insulin resistance.
- To examine these associations in a healthy pediatric population across different age groups.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional study of 83 healthy children aged 2-10+ years, divided into three age groups.
- Analysis of fatty acid composition in adipose tissue triacylglycerols and skeletal muscle phospholipids.
- Measurement of plasma lipid profiles, glucose, and insulin levels to assess insulin resistance markers like HOMA index.
Main Results:
- Insulinemia, glycemia, and HOMA index increased with age in children.
- Arachidonic acid in adipose tissue showed a significant age-independent positive correlation with insulinemia and HOMA index.
- Oleic acid in skeletal muscle phospholipids demonstrated an age-dependent negative correlation with insulinemia and HOMA index.
Conclusions:
- Healthy children exhibit a prepubertal increase in insulin resistance.
- Adipose tissue arachidonic acid content is significantly correlated with this increase in insulin resistance.
- Fatty acid composition, particularly arachidonic acid, plays a role in pediatric insulin resistance development.
Background:
The fatty acid composition of membrane structural lipids, which is partly dependent on dietary intake, is associated with insulin action.
Aim:
To examine the association between fatty acid composition of adipose tissue and skeletal muscle phospholipids with insulin resistance markers in a healthy pediatric population.
Methods:
Using a cross-sectional design, we studied 83 healthy children divided into 3 groups, ages 2 to 5, 6 to 10 and more than 10 years.
Measurements:
Fatty acid composition of adipose tissue triacylglycerols and skeletal muscle phospholipids, plasma lipid profile and fasting plasma levels of glucose and insulin were measured.
Results:
There was a linear increase of insulinemia, glycemia and homeostasis adipose tissue model assessment (HOMA) index throughout the pediatric age range. Linoleic acid proportion in skeletal muscle and arachidonic acid proportion in adipose tissue also increased significantly with age. An age-independent positive correlation between insulinemia or HOMA index and arachidonic acid content in adipose tissue triacylglycerols (r = 0.47, P < 0.001) was found. An age-dependent negative correlation was present between insulinemia or HOMA index and oleic acid content in skeletal muscle phospholipids (r = -0.30, P = 0.03 and r = -0.28, P < 0.04, respectively). Trans fatty acids content did not correlate with any marker of insulin resistance.
Conclusion:
Healthy children present a prepubertal increase of insulin resistance, which is significantly correlated with arachidonic acid content in adipose tissue.
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