Relationships between fat deposition in the liver and skeletal muscle and insulin sensitivity in Japanese individuals: a pilot study

Figures & data

Table 1 Participant characteristics

	All participants	Males	Females
Sex (males/females)	11/9
Age (y)	58 ± 9	53 ± 8	64 ± 8a
Height (cm)	161.1 ± 10.5	169.0 ± 6.1	151.3 ± 4.4b
BSA (m^2)	1.76 ± 0.21	1.89 ± 0.14	1.59 ± 0.16b
Weight (kg)	75.7 ± 14.7	83.0 ± 12.2	66.9 ± 12.9c
BMI (kg/m^2)	29.0 ± 4.1	29.0 ± 3.8	29.1 ± 4.7
%FAT (%)	33.2 ± 7.7	27.7 ± 5.2	40.0 ± 3.5b
VFA (cm^2)	190 ± 53	205 ± 52	172 ± 52
VFA/BSA (cm^2/m^2)	108 ± 24	108 ± 23	107 ± 27
SFA (cm^2)	264 ± 99	216 ± 84	323 ± 85c
SFA/BSA (cm^2/m^2)	152 ± 57	113 ± 35	200 ± 37b
LDMA (cm^2)	33.7 ± 15.7	32.5 ± 15.3	35.0 ± 17.0
LDMA/mid-thigh area (cm^2/cm^2)	0.07 ± 0.02	0.06 ± 0.02	0.07 ± 0.02
L/S ratio	1.11 ± 0.23	1.05 ± 0.25	1.18 ± 0.19
Glucose (mg/dL)	111 ± 14	115 ± 17	107 ± 10
Insulin (μIU/mL)	11.4 ± 3.7	12.3 ± 3.2	10.4 ± 4.2
HbA1c (%)	5.7 ± 0.4	5.5 ± 0.3	5.8 ± 0.4
Triglyceride (mg/dL)	120 ± 73	153 ± 84	85 ± 35c
HDL (mg/dL)	45 ± 12	42 ± 10	48 ± 13
LDL (mg/dL)	116 ± 30	120 ± 24	111 ± 36
FFA (μEq/L)	1.5 ± 1.5	1.7 ± 2.1	1.3 ± 0.3
hsCRP (ng/mL)	820 ± 776	1062 ± 937	523 ± 392
IL-6 (pg/mL)d	1.7 ± 0.8	1.5 ± 0.7	1.9 ± 0.8
TNFα (pg/mL)	1.4 ± 0.7	1.3 ± 0.8	1.4 ± 0.5
HMW adiponectin (μg/mL)	3.9 ± 2.3	2.7 ± 1.2	5.5 ± 2.5a
PAI-1 (ng/mL)	30.8 ± 12.9	35.1 ± 14.8	25.4 ± 7.8
MCR (mL/kg/min)	4.1 ± 1.2	4.1 ± 1.4	4.2 ± 1.0
MCRG/IC (mL/kg/min per mU/L × 100)	3.1 ± 1.3	2.9 ± 1.2	3.4 ± 1.4
LT (mL/min/kg per FFM)e	16.9 ± 3.9	16.6 ± 3.7	17.5 ± 4.5
Step counts (steps/day)	6486 ± 2637	7485 ± 2686	5264 ± 2108
Alcohol consumption (g/day)	7.3 ± 9.2	11.8 ± 9.6	1.8 ± 5.0c

Notes: Data are expressed as mean ± standard deviation;

a P < 0.01, significantly different versus men;

b P < 0.001, significantly different versus men;

c P < 0.05, significantly different versus men;

d n = 18 (9 females);

e n = 19 (8 females).

Abbreviations: BSA, body surface area; BMI, body mass index; %FAT, body fat percentage; VFA, visceral fat area; SFA, subcutaneous fat area; LDMA, low density muscle area; L/S, liver to spleen ratio; FFA, free fatty acids; hsCRP, high sensitivity C-reactive protein; IL, interleukin; TNF, tumor necrosis factor; HMW, high molecular weight; PAI, plasminogen activator inhibitor; MCR, metabolic clearance rate; LT, oxygen uptake at the lactate threshold; FFM, fat-free mass.

Table 2 Correlations among indices of body fat accumulation

	VFA	SFA	LDMA	L/S
%FAT	ns	0.92a	0.65b	ns
VFA		ns	ns	ns
SFA			0.57b	ns
LDMA				ns

Notes:

a P < 0.001;

b P < 0.01.

Abbreviations: VFA, visceral fat area/body surface area; SFA, subcutaneous fat area/body surface area; LDMA, low density muscle area/mid-thigh area; L/S, liver to spleen ratio; %FAT, body fat percentage; ns, not significant.

Table 3 Correlations among indices of fat accumulation, aerobic capacity, and insulin sensitivity

Index	MCRG/IC
	Unadjusted	Model 1	Model 2	Model 3
%FAT	ns	ns	ns	ns
VFA	−0.46a	–	ns	ns
SFA	ns	ns	ns	ns
LDMA	−0.57b	−0.48a	–	−0.69b
L/S	0.70b	0.66b	0.78c	–
LT	ns	ns	ns	ns

Notes: Model 1 is adjusted for VFA; Model 2 is adjusted for LDMA; Model 3 is adjusted for L/S;

a P < 0.05;

b P < 0.01;

c P < 0.001.

Abbreviations: %FAT, body fat percentage; VFA, visceral fat area/body surface area; SFA, subcutaneous fat area/body surface area; LDMA, low density muscle area/mid-thigh area; L/S, liver to spleen ratio; LT, oxygen uptake at lactate threshold; MCR_G/I_C, metabolic clearance rate; ns, not significant.

Table 4 Multiple stepwise regression analysis for independent determinants of insulin sensitivity

		R^2	SEE	F value	P value
Step 1	L/S	0.47	0.13	17.2	<0.001
Step 2	L/S + LDMA	0.70	0.10	21.7	<0.001

Notes: Outcome variable: MCR_G/I_C; Independent variables: sex, age, %FAT, VFA, SFA, LDMA, L/S, LT, and alcohol consumption.

Abbreviations: %FAT, body fat percentage; VFA, visceral fat area/body surface area; SFA, subcutaneous fat area/body surface area; LDMA, low density muscle area/mid-thigh area; L/S, liver to spleen ratio; LT, oxygen uptake at the lactate threshold; MCR_G/I_C, metabolic clearance rate.

Table 5 Correlations among cytokines, indices of body fat accumulation, and insulin sensitivity

	%FAT	VFA	SFA	LDMA	L/S	MCRG/IC
FFA	ns	ns	ns	ns	ns	ns
HMW adiponectin	0.58a	ns	0.54b	ns	ns	ns
IL-6	0.56b	ns	ns	ns	ns	ns
hsCRP	ns	ns	ns	ns	ns	−0.57a
TNFα	ns	ns	ns	ns	−0.67a	−0.63a
PAI-1	ns	ns	ns	ns	−0.52b	−0.58a

Notes: MCR_G/I_C and cytokine concentrations were logarithmically transformed to approximate normal distributions;

a P < 0.01;

b P < 0.05.

Abbreviations: %FAT, percentage body fat; VFA, visceral fat area/body surface area; L/S, liver to spleen ratio; LDMA, low density muscle area/mid-thigh area; MCR_G/I_C, metabolic clearance rate; FFA, free fatty acid; HMW adiponectin, high molecular weight adiponectin; IL, interleukin; hsCRP, high sensitivity C-reactive protein; TNF, tumor necrosis factor; PAI-1, plasminogen activator inhibitor-1; ns, not significant.