Dysregulation of Lipid Droplet Protein Expression in Adipose Tissues and Association with Metabolic Risk Factors in Adult Females with Obesity and Type 2 Diabetes

Adipocyte dysregulation of lipid droplet (LD) metabolism caused by altered expression of LD proteins contributes to obesity-related metabolic diseases. We aimed to investigate whether expression levels of PLIN1, CIDEA, and CIDEC were altered in adipose tissues of women with obesity and type 2 diabetes and whether their alterations were associated with metabolic risk factors. Normal-weight (NW; 18.5 kg/m2 < BMI ≤ 25 kg/m2; n = 43), nondiabetic obese (OB; BMI > 30 kg/m2; n = 38), and diabetic obese (OB/DM; BMI > 30 kg/m2, fasting glucose ≥ 126 mg/dL, HbA1c ≥ 6.5%; n = 22) women were recruited. Metabolic parameters were measured, and expressions of PLIN1, CIDEA, CIDEC, and obesity-related genes were quantified in abdominal subcutaneous (SAT) and visceral adipose tissues (VAT). Effects of proinflammatory cytokines, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress inducers, and metabolic improvement agents on LD protein gene expressions were investigated in human adipocytes. PLIN1, CIDEA, and CIDEC expressions were lower in SAT and higher in VAT in OB subjects relative to NW subjects; however, they were suppressed in both fat depots in OB/DM subjects relative to OB (P < 0.05). Across the entire cohort, whereas VAT PLIN1 (r = 0.349) and CIDEC expressions (r = 0.282) were positively associated with BMI (P < 0.05), SAT PLIN1 (r = −0.390) and CIDEA expressions (r = −0.565) were inversely associated. After adjustment for BMI, some or all of the adipose LD protein gene expressions were negatively associated with fasting glucose (r = −0.259 or higher) and triglyceride levels (r = −0.284 or higher) and positively associated with UCP1 expression (r = 0.353 or higher) (P < 0.05). In adipocytes, LD protein gene expressions were 55–70% downregulated by increased proinflammatory cytokines and ER stress but 2–4-fold upregulated by the metabolic improvement agents exendin-4 and dapagliflozin (P < 0.05). The findings suggest that reduction of adipose LD protein expression is involved in the pathogenesis of metabolic disorders in women with obesity and type 2 diabetes and that increasing LD protein expression in adipocytes could control development of metabolic disorders.