Adipose Tissue 12/15 Lipoxygenase Pathway in Human Obesity and Diabetes

Context: Visceral adipose tissue (VAT) is a key contributor to chronic inflammation in obesity. The 12/15-lipoxygenase pathway (ALOX) is present in adipose tissue (AT) and leads to inflammatory cascades that are causal for the onset of insulin resistance in rodent models of obesity. Objective: The pathophysiology of the ALOX 12/15 pathway in human AT is unknown. We characterized the ALOX pathway in different AT depots in obese humans with or without type 2 diabetes (T2D). Design: This study includes a cross-sectional cohort of 46 morbidly obese (body mass index >39 kg/m2) nondiabetic (n = 25) and T2D (n = 21) subjects. Setting: This study was conducted at Eastern Virginia Medical School (Norfolk, Virginia) in collaboration with Sentara Metabolic and Weight Loss Surgery Center (Sentara Medical Group, Norfolk, Virginia). Patients: Twenty-five obese (body mass index 44.8 ± 4.4 kg/m2) nondiabetic (hemoglobin A1c 5.83% ± 0.27%) and 21 obese (43.4 ± 4.1 kg/m2) and T2D (hemoglobin A1c 7.66% ± 1.22%) subjects wer...