Microdialysis in adipose tissue and skeletal muscle

Traditionally, investigation of metabolism in peripheral tissues such as the adipose tissue and muscles has been done by indirect measurements on whole body metabolism or in cannulated limbs. The microdialysis technique (1) was first invented and further developed (2) by neurobiologists for regional measurements in the rat brain. During the last ten years the technique has been used in several other organs in laboratory animals and since the first application in man (3) it has become wide spread for clinical investigation of human metabolism as well as for clinical pharmacology research. In this article some methodological aspects will be discussed and a few examples of the application of the technique will be given.