Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Site-specific differences in the fatty acid composition of human adipose tissue

  • Article
  • Published:
Lipids

Abstract

The fatty acid composition of triacylglycerols from fifteen distinct adipose depots taken from each of seven adult male human subjects was compared. Oleic, palmitic, linoleic, stearic, myristic, palmitoleic and vaccenic acids accounted for more than 90% of the triacylglycerol fatty acids in all sites from all subjects; a number of other fatty acids were also identified and quantified. There were large differences in theaverage fatty acid composition between individual subjects. There were no site-specific differences in the proportions of myristic (3.8–4.7% of triacylglycerol fatty acids), palmitic (23–29%), linoleic (6.7–9.8%) or vaccenic (4.1–4.7%) acids or in the proportions of any of the less abundant fatty acids. There were some significant site-specific differences in the proportions of palmitoleic, oleic and stearic acids. The calf depot contained more palmitoleic acid (6.41±1.09%) than the trapezius (3.12±0.55%), perirenal (3.59±0.50%) and mesenteric (3.70±0.43%) depots, more oleic acid (42.13±1.27%) than the trapezius (36.03±2.18%), perirenal (36.50±1.56%) and breast (37.13±1.55%) depots and less stearic acid (5.18±0.89%) than the trapezius (8.57±0.97%), perirenal (8.49±0.75%), mesenteric (7.87±0.42%), breast (8.02±0.75%) and clavicular (8.34±0.78%) depots. The buttock depot contained less stearic acid (6.06±0.65%) than the perirenal, mesenteric and clavicular depots, while the anterior thigh depot contained less stearic acid (6.07±0.70%) than the perirenal depot. These findings indicate that, while most human adipose depots differ little in fatty acid composition, some sites, in particular the calf, perirenal, trapezius and mesenteric depots, have site-specific properties.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Abbreviations

BSTFA:

N,O-bis-(trimethylsilyl)trifluoroacetamide

GC:

gas chromatography

GC/MS:

gas chromatography/mass spectrometry

References

  1. Lithell, H., and Boberg, J. (1978)Int. J. Obesity 2, 47–52.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Ostman, J., Arner, P., Engfeldt, P., and Karger, L. (1979)Metabolism 28, 1198–1205.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Bolinder, J., Karger, L., Ostman, J., and Arner, P. (1983)Diabetes 32, 117–123.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Rebuffe-Scrive, M., Enk, L., Crona, N., Lönnroth, P., Abrahamsson, L., Smith, U., and Björntorp, P. (1985)J. Clin. Invest. 75, 1973–1976.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Despres, J-P., Fong, B.S., Julien, P., Jimenez, J., and Angel, A. (1987)Am. J. Physiol. 252, E654–659.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Pond, C., Mattacks, C.A., Calder, P.C., and Evans, J. (1992)Comp. Biochem. Physiol., in press.

  7. Kather, H., Schroder, F., Simon, B., and Schlierf, G. (1977)Eur. J. Clin. Invest. 7, 595–597.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. La Fontan, M., Dang-Tran, L., and Berlan, M. (1978)Eur. J. Clin. Invest. 9, 261–266.

    Google Scholar 

  9. Field, C.J., Angel, A., and Clandinin, M.T. (1985)Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 42, 1206–1220.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Kingsbury, K.J., Paul, S., Crossley, A., and Morgan, D.M. (1960)Biochem. J. 78, 541–550.

    Google Scholar 

  11. McLaren, D.S., Read, W.W.C., and Chimbe, A. (1962)Clin. Sci. 23, 247–250.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Heffernan, A.G.A. (1963)Clin. Sci. 25, 423–429.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Brook, C.G.D. (1971)Brit. J. Nutr. 25, 377–380.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Pittet, P.G., Halliday, D., and Bateman, P.E. (1979)Brit. J. Nutr. 42, 57–61.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Malcom, G.T., Bhattacharyya, A.K., Velez-Duran, M., Guzman, M.A., Oalmann, M.C., and Strong, J.P. (1989)Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 50, 288–291.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Pond, C.M. (1991) inThe Aquatic Ape: Fact or Fiction? (Roede, M., Wind, J., Patrick, J., and Reynolds, V., eds.) pp. 193–220, Souvenir Press, London.

    Google Scholar 

  17. Mattacks, C.A., Sadler, D., and Pond, C.M. (1987)Comp. Biochem. Physiol. 87B, 533–542.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Mattacks, C.A., and Pond, C.M. (1988)Int. J. Obesity 12, 585–597.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Marchington, J.M., and Pond, C.M. (1990)Int. J. Obesity 14, 1013–1022.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Pond, C.M., and Mattacks, C.A. (1991)Int. J. Obesity 15, 609–618.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Pond, C.M., and Mattacks, C.A. (1987)Comp. Biochem. Physiol. 87B, 543–551.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Pond, C.M., and Mattacks, C.A. (1989)Comp. Biochem. Physiol. 92A, 455–463.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Pond, C.M., Mattacks, C.A., Colby, R.H., and Ramsay, M.A. (1992)Can. J. Zool. 70, 326–341.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Lin, K.C., Cross, H.R., and Smith, S.B. (1992)Lipids 27, 111–116.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Pond, C.M., Mattacks, C.A., Colby, R.H., and Tyler, N.J.C. (1992)J. Zool. Lond., in press.

  26. Folch, J., Lees, M., and Sloane-Stanley, G.H. (1957)J. Biol. Chem. 226, 497–509.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Knapp, D.R. (1979)Handbook of Analytical Derivatization Reactions, p. 156, John Wiley & Sons, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  28. Harvey, D.J. (1982)Biomed. Mass Spectrom. 9, 33–38.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Harvey, D.J. (1984)Biomed. Mass Spectrom. 11, 340–347.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Wood, D.A., Butler, S., MacIntyre, C., Riemersma, R.A., Thomson, M., Elton, R.A., and Oliver, M.F. (1987)Lancet i, 177–183.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. Field, C.J., and Clandinin, M.T. (1984)Nutr. Res. 4, 743–755.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, The Open University, MK7 6AA, Milton Keynes, UK

    C. M. Pond

  2. Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, OX 1 3QU, Oxford, UK

    P. C. Calder, D. J. Harvey & E. A. Newsholme

Authors
  1. P. C. Calder
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. D. J. Harvey
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. C. M. Pond
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. E. A. Newsholme
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

About this article

Cite this article

Calder, P.C., Harvey, D.J., Pond, C.M. et al. Site-specific differences in the fatty acid composition of human adipose tissue. Lipids 27, 716–720 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02536031

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02536031

Keywords

Search

Navigation