Comparison of Adiposomal Lipids between Obese and Non-Obese Individuals

Our recent findings revealed that human adipose tissues (AT)-derived extracellular vesicles (adiposomes) vary in cargo among obese and lean individuals. The main objective of this study was to investigate the adiposomal lipid profiles and their correlation with cardiometabolic risk factors. AT samples were collected from obese subjects and lean controls and analyzed for their characteristics and lipid content. In addition, we measured the correlation between adiposomal lipid profiles and body composition, glucose and lipid metabolic profiles, brachial artery vasoreactivity, AT arteriolar flow-induced dilation, and circulating markers such as IL-6, C-reactive protein, and nitric oxide (NO). Compared to lean controls, adiposomes isolated from obese subjects were higher in number after normalization to AT volume. The two major lipid classes differentially expressed were lysophosphatidylcholine/phosphatidylcholine (LPC/PC) and ceramides (Cer). All lipids in the LPC/PC class were several-fold lower in adiposomes from obese subjects compared to lean controls, on top of which were PC 18:2, PC 18:1, and PC 36:3. Most ceramides were markedly upregulated in the obese group, especially Cer d37:0, Cer d18:0, and Cer d39:0. Regression analyses revealed associations between adiposomal lipid profiles and several cardiometabolic risk factors such as body mass index (BMI), fat percentage, insulin resistance, arteriolar and brachial artery vasoreactivity, NO bioavailability, and high-density lipoproteins (HDL-C). We conclude that the ability of adiposomes from obese subjects to disrupt cardiometabolic function could be partly attributed to the dysregulated lipid cargo.