Increased Brain Fatty Acid Uptake in Metabolic Syndrome.

Karmi, Anna; Iozzo, Patricia; Viljanen, Antti; Hirvonen, Jussi; Fielding, Barbara A.; Virtanen, Kirsi; Oikonen, Vesa; Kemppainen, Jukka; Viljanen, Tapio; Guiducci, Letizia; Haaparanta-Solin, Merja; Någren, Kjell; Solin, Olof; Nuutila, Pirjo

OBJECTIVE--To test whether brain fatty acid uptake is enhanced in obese subjects with metabolic syndrome (MS) and whether weight reduction modifies it. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS--We measured brain fatty acid uptake in a group of 23 patients with MS and 7 age-matched healthy control subjects during fasting conditions using positron emission tomography (PET) with [[sup 11]C]-palmitate and [[sup 18]F]fluoro-6-thia-heptadecanoic acid ([[sup 18]F]-FTHA). Sixteen MS subjects were restudied after 6 weeks of very low calorie diet intervention. RESULTS--At baseline, brain global fatty acid uptake derived from [[sup 18]F]-FTHA was 50% higher in patients with MS compared with control subjects. The mean percentage increment was 130% in the white matter, 47% in the gray matter, and uniform across brain regions. In the MS group, the nonoxidized fraction measured using [[sup 11]C]-palmitate was 86% higher. Brain fatty acid uptake measured with [[sup 18]F]-FTHA-PET was associated with age, fasting serum insulin, and homeostasis model assessment (HOMA) index. Both total and nonoxidized fractions of fatty acid uptake were associated with BMI. Rapid weight reduction decreased brain fatty acid uptake by 17%. CONCLUSIONS--To our knowledge, this is the first study on humans to observe enhanced brain fatty acid uptake in patients with MS. Both fatty acid uptake and accumulation appear to be increased in MS patients and reversed by weight reduction. Diabetes 59:2171-2177, 2010

FATTY acids; METABOLIC syndrome; WEIGHT loss; BRAIN; LOW-calorie diet

Diabetes, 2010, Vol 59, Issue 9, p2171

0012-1797

Academic Journal

10.2337/db09-0138