ENHANCED EXPRESSION OF PAI-1 IN VISCERAL FAT - POSSIBLE CONTRIBUTOR TO VASCULAR-DISEASE IN OBESITY

The presence of obesity increases the risk of thrombotic vascular dise ases. The role of fat accumulation and its effect on plasminogen activ ator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) levels was investigated in humans and animals . Plasma PAI-1 levels were closely correlated with visceral fat area b ut not with subcutaneous fat area in human subjects. PAI-1 mRNA was de tected in both types of fat tissue in obese rats but increased only in visceral fat during the development of obesity. These data suggest th at an enhanced expression of the PAI-7 gene in visceral fat may increa se plasma levels and may have a role in the development of vascular di sease in visceral obesity.