Summary
Obesity and the metabolic syndrome are prevalent in the United States and responsible for morbidity and
mortality. The studies in this application aim to determine if a specific metabolic phenotype (increased reliance
on anaerobic glycolysis in skeletal muscle and metabolic inflexibility) in overweight individuals is evident and
approximates that of the severely obese. Overweight subjects will be selected for high and low fasting lactate
concentrations (an indicator of anaerobic glycolysis) and undergo a glucose clamp with a muscle biopsy
obtained in the resting state (Aim 1). A severely obese group will undergo the same tests with the primary
variables being basal and insulin stimulated in vivo muscle substrate oxidation (near infrared spectrospopy;
NIRS), muscle lactate release (microdialysis), RER, and muscle homogenate oxidation of pyruvate and fatty
acids. Secondary variables are resting/fasting plasma lactate, whole body acetate oxidation, muscle fiber type,
oxygen consumption in permeabilized fibers exposed to various substrates, quantities of mitochondrial
proteins, VO2peak, REE, RER, body shape (3D-scanner) and body composition (DEXA). In Aim 2a, data from
the clamp will be used to assess metabolic flexibility. The primary variables are metabolic flexibility (change in
RER in response to insulin + glucose); substrate oxidation (NIRS and muscle homogenate oxidation of
pyruvate and fatty acids); and anaerobic glycolysis (muscle lactate release during the clamp). Secondary
variables are peripheral and hepatic insulin sensitivity. In Aim 2b, responses to a 3-day high fat diet will be
determined and muscle biopsies obtained before and after the diet. The primary variables are indices of
metabolic flexibility in response to the HFD and substrate oxidation (NIRS, muscle homogenate oxidation of
pyruvate and fatty acids) and in vivo muscle lactate production. Secondary variables are peripheral and
hepatic insulin sensitivity. Aim 2c will examine the ability of primary cell cultures derived from the research
subject to respond to insulin or lipid incubation. The primary variables are metabolic flexibility in response to
glucose + insulin (insulin stimulation of glucose oxidation and lactate production) and metabolic flexibility in
response to fat (increase in fatty acid oxidation after 24 hr incubation with fatty acids). Aim 3 will determine if
an intervention (gastric bypass surgery) which restores metabolic flexibility in severely obese individuals will
also reduce dependence on anaerobic glycolysis. Subjects will undergo a glucose clamp and a muscle biopsy
before and after the surgery. Primary variables are metabolic flexibility (change in RER in response to glucose
+ insulin during a clamp), substrate oxidation (NIRS, muscle homogenate oxidation of pyruvate and fatty acids)
and in vivo muscle lactate release. Secondary variables are resting/fasting lactate, peripheral and hepatic
insulin sensitivity, whole-body acetate oxidation, and metabolic flexibility of cultured muscle cells. The intent of
this research is to determine indices of individuals at risk for the subsequent development of obesity.