Uncoupling protein-2 gene: reduced mRNA expression in intraperitoneal adipose tissue of obese humans (original) (raw)

Summary

The mitochondrial uncoupling protein-2 (UCP-2) is a recently discovered homologue of the brown adipose tissue-specific uncoupling protein and could be involved in the regulation of energy balance. Since obesity is associated with disturbed energy homeostasis, we tested the hypothesis that UCP-2 gene expression is deficient in this disorder. We determined, by a competitive reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction assay, UCP-2 mRNA expression in intra- and extraperitoneal adipose tissues of 107 morbidly obese subjects and 31 lean control subjects. In both obese and non-obese subjects, UCP-2 mRNA abundance was higher in the intraperitoneal than in the extraperitoneal tissue (p < 0.05), but no association was observed between intra- and extraperitoneal expression in either group. Compared with lean control subjects, both male and female obese subjects displayed significantly lower average UCP-2 mRNA expression in the intraperitoneal adipose tissue (p < 0.006), while UCP-2 mRNA abundance in extraperitoneal adipose tissue was not different between obese and non-obese men and women. Intraperitoneal UCP-2 mRNA remained low in nine obese subjects who lost 23 ± 12 kg of weight over a period of 10 ± 5 months subsequent to weight reducing surgery. These data support the concept that impaired adipose tissue expression of UCP-2 may play a role in the pathophysiology of obesity. [Diabetologia (1998) 41: 940–946]

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Laboratory Medicine, Landeskrankenanstalten Salzburg, Austria, , , , , , AT
    H. Oberkofler, Y. M. Liu, H. Esterbauer & W. Patsch
  2. Department of Surgery, Krankenhaus Hallein, Austria, , , , , , AT
    E. Hell
  3. Department of Internal Medicine, Krankenhaus Hallein, Austria, , , , , , AT
    F. Krempler

Authors

  1. H. Oberkofler
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  2. Y. M. Liu
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  3. H. Esterbauer
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  4. E. Hell
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  5. F. Krempler
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  6. W. Patsch
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Received: 22 December 1997 and in revised form: 18 March 1998

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Oberkofler, H., Liu, Y., Esterbauer, H. et al. Uncoupling protein-2 gene: reduced mRNA expression in intraperitoneal adipose tissue of obese humans.Diabetologia 41, 940–946 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1007/s001250051011

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