In vivo human lipolytic activity in preperitoneal and subdivisions of subcutaneous abdominal adipose tissue

We studied eight normal-weight male subjects to examine whether the lipolyt ic rate of deep subcutaneous and preperitoneal adipose tissues differs from that of superficial abdominal subcutaneous adipose tissue. The lipolytic r ates in the superficial anterior and deep posterior subcutaneous abdominal adipose tissues and in the preperitoneal adipose tissue in the round ligame nt were measured by microdialysis and Xe-133 washout under basal, postabsor ptive conditions and during intravenous epinephrine infusion (0.15 nmol.kg( -1).min(-1)). Both in the basal state and during epinephrine stimulation, t he superficial subcutaneous adipose tissue had higher interstitial glycerol concentrations than the two other depots. Similarly, the calculated glycer ol outputs from the superficial depot were significantly higher than those from the deep subcutaneous and the preperitoneal depots. Thus, it is conclu ded that the lipolytic rate of the superficial subcutaneous adipose tissue on the anterior abdominal wall is higher than that of the deep subcutaneous adipose tissue on the posterior abdominal wall and that of the preperitone al adipose tissue in the round ligament.