Abstract
The cause of skeletal muscle insulin resistance is unclear, but high levels of intramyocellular lipids are often present in affected individuals. We aimed to establish the metabolic, familial, and anthropometric associations of intramyocellular lipid in a pediatric population. We studied 41 boys aged 6.9–9.9 y and 23 of their mothers by proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy. We related muscle lipid levels to important factors that define an increased risk of developing insulin resistance in adult life. There were significant associations between the boys' intramyocellular lipid and their waist circumference (r = 0.42, p = 0.007), body mass index SD score (r = 0.32, p = 0.04), weight SD score (r = 0.32, p = 0.04), glucose:insulin ratio (r=−0.59, p = 0.04), maternal log fasting insulin levels (r = 0.44, p = 0.04), maternal body mass index (r = 0.46, p = 0.03), and maternal intramyocellular lipid (r = 0.62, p = 0.003). In the 41 boys, waist circumference explained 19% of the variance in the boys' intramyocellular lipid. Maternal intramyocellular lipid explained 39% of the variance in the boys' intramyocellular lipid in the sub-group of 23 boys. Intramyocellular lipid levels have both metabolic and anthropometric associations in childhood. Before puberty, children develop or inherit muscle metabolic characteristics that are associated both with insulin resistance and risk factors for the development of insulin resistance syndrome in adult life.
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Abbreviations
- IMCL:
-
intramyocellular lipid
- WHR:
-
waist: hip ratio
- NEFA:
-
non esterified fatty acid
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Acknowledgements
The authors thank Dr. Jennifer Peat for advice on statistical analysis for this study and Mrs. Jenny Phuyal and Mr. Kieron Rooney for expert technical assistance.
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This study was supported by the Diabetes Australia Research Trust, the New Children's Hospital Research Fund, the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia (grant number 987755), and a Royal Australasian College of Physicians Pharmacia and Upjohn Medical Fellowship.
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Ashley, M., Buckley, A., Criss, A. et al. Familial, Anthropometric, and Metabolic Associations of Intramyocellular Lipid Levels in Prepubertal Males. Pediatr Res 51, 81–86 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-200201000-00015
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-200201000-00015
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