Nitric oxide suppression of in‐vivo lipolysis is greater in obese than lean women

There is mounting evidence that there is a reduced capacity to mobilize stored fat in obese compared to lean women, and that this decreased lipid mobilization may lead to, or perpetuate, the obese state. Nitric oxide (NO) may be responsible for a portion of the reduced in‐vivo rates of lipolysis in obese women due to the following: 1) NO reduces in‐vivo adipose tissue lipolysis, and 2) adipose tissue endothelial NOS mRNA and protein content are higher in obese than lean individuals. The purpose of this study was to determine if the inhibition of NOS by L‐NMMA in the absence and presence of lipolytic stimulation by isoprenaline or norepinephrine would result in a larger increase in lipolytic rate in obese (OB) than lean (LN) premenopausal women. Microdialysis probes (LM‐3; BAS) were inserted into the subcutaneous abdominal adipose tissue of seven obese (BMI >30 kg/m2) and six lean (BMI