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Updated: Jun 28, 2026

In Vitro Modeling of Fat Deposition in Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease
Published on: July 19, 2024
Alterations in fatty acid kinetics in obese adolescents with increased intrahepatic triglyceride content
Elisa Fabbrini1, Dinky deHaseth, Sheela Deivanayagam
1Center for Human Nutrition, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, Missouri, USA.
Objective:
It has been hypothesized that excessive fatty acid availability contributes to steatosis and the metabolic abnormalities associated with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether adipose tissue lipolytic activity and the rate of fatty acid release into plasma are increased in obese adolescents with NAFLD.
Methods:
Palmitate kinetics were determined in obese adolescents with normal (n = 9; BMI = 37 +/- 2 kg/m(2); intrahepatic triglyceride (IHTG)
Results:
The rate of whole-body palmitate release into plasma was greater in subjects with NAFLD than those with normal IHTG content during basal conditions, (87 +/- 7 vs. 127 +/- 13 micromol/min; P < 0.01) and during physiological hyperinsulinemia, (24 +/- 2 vs. 44 +/- 8 micromol/min; P < 0.01).
Discussion:
These results demonstrate that adipose tissue lipolytic activity is increased in obese adolescents with NAFLD and results in an increase in the rate of fatty acid release into plasma throughout the day. This continual excess in fatty acid flux supports the hypothesis that adipose insulin resistance is involved in the pathogenesis of steatosis and contributes to the metabolic complications associated with NAFLD.
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