Estimated liver weight is directly related to hepatic very low-density lipoprotein-triglyceride secretion rate in men

Background Animal studies suggest that liver weight is directly related to hepatic very low‐density lipoprotein–triglyceride (VLDL‐TG) secretion, independently of body size. This relationship has never been examined in humans. Materials and methods We measured VLDL‐TG secretion rate by using stable isotope‐labelled tracers in 21 healthy, non‐obese men (age: 25 ± 3 years; body mass index: 24·8 ± 1·6 kg m−2), and evaluated the relationship between VLDL‐TG secretion and indices of total and regional adiposity (body mass index, total body fat, trunk fat), metabolic parameters (free fatty acid, glucose, and insulin concentrations, homeostasis model assessment index of insulin resistance, resting energy expenditure), and estimated liver weight. Results Correlation analysis showed that estimated liver weight was positively associated with total VLDL‐TG secretion rate (r = 0·722, P