P. Eriksson et al., ADIPOSE-TISSUE SECRETION OF PLASMINOGEN-ACTIVATOR INHIBITOR-1 IN NONOBESE AND OBESE INDIVIDUALS, Diabetologia, 41(1), 1998, pp. 65-71
High plasma plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) activity is a fr
equent finding in obesity, and both PAI-1 and obesity are risk factors
for cardiovascular disease. To study the mechanisms underlying increa
sed PAI-1 levels in obese individuals, gene expression and secretion o
f PAI-1 were measured in human abdominal subcutaneous adipose tissue.
A total of 32 obese, otherwise healthy subjects and 10 never-obese hea
lthy subjects with a body mass index (BMI) of 42.6 +/- 1.2 and 24.3 +/
- 1.9 kg/m(2) (mean +/- SEM), respectively, were investigated. Plasma
PAI-1 activity, adipose tissue PAI-1 secretion and adipocyte PAI-1 mRN
A levels were increased sevenfold (p < 0.0001), sixfold (p < 0.0001) a
nd twofold (p < 0.05), respectively, in the obese group. There were cl
ear associations between adipose tissue secretion of PAI-1 and PAI-1 m
RNA levels on the one hand and fat cell volume on the other (r = 0.68,
p < 0.0001 and r = 0.51, p < 0.01, respectively, in the obese group).
PAI-1 mRNA levels were also related to the amount of PAI-1 secreted a
mong obese individuals (r = 0.31, p = 0.09). It is concluded that adip
ose tissue secretes significant amounts of PAI-1, that PAI-1 secretion
from adipose tissue is increased in obesity, and that PAI-1 secretion
is related to the lipid content and cell volume of fat cells. Plasma
PAI-1 activity is elevated in obesity, at least in part due to increas
ed gene expression in adipocytes, which, in turn, enhances PAI-1 secre
tion from adipose tissue.