TY - JOUR

T1 - Dissociation between insulin resistance and abnormalities in lipoprotein particle concentrations and sizes in normal-weight Chinese adults

AU - Tranæs, Kaare

AU - Ding, Cherlyn

AU - Chooi, Yu Chung

AU - Chan, Zhiling

AU - Choo, John

AU - Leow, Melvin K-S

AU - Magkos, Faidon

N1 - Copyright © 2021 Tranæs, Ding, Chooi, Chan, Choo, Leow and Magkos.

PY - 2021

Y1 - 2021

N2 - Insulin resistance in obesity coincides with abnormalities in lipid profile and lipoprotein subclass distribution and size even before abnormalities in glucose homeostasis manifest. We aimed to assess this relationship in the absence of obesity. Insulin sensitivity (3-h intravenous glucose tolerance test and minimal modeling) and lipoprotein particle concentrations and sizes (proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy) were evaluated in 15 insulin-resistant and 15 insulin-sensitive lean Asians of Chinese descent with normal glucose tolerance, matched on age, sex, and body mass index. Despite a ~50% lower insulin sensitivity index (Si) in insulin-resistant than in insulin-sensitive subjects, which was accompanied by significantly greater acute insulin response to glucose (AIRg) and fasting insulin concentration but not different fasting glucose concentration, there were no significant differences between groups in the blood lipid profile (p ≥ 0.44) or the lipoprotein subclass concentrations (p ≥ 0.30) and particle sizes (p ≥ 0.43). We conclude that, contrary to observations in subjects with obesity, insulin resistance is not accompanied by unfavorable changes in the plasma lipid profile and lipoprotein particle concentrations and sizes in lean Asians with normal glucose tolerance. Therefore, insulin resistance at the level of glucose metabolism is mechanistically or temporally dissociated from lipid and lipoprotein metabolism. Trial Registration: clinicaltrials.gov, NCT03264001.

AB - Insulin resistance in obesity coincides with abnormalities in lipid profile and lipoprotein subclass distribution and size even before abnormalities in glucose homeostasis manifest. We aimed to assess this relationship in the absence of obesity. Insulin sensitivity (3-h intravenous glucose tolerance test and minimal modeling) and lipoprotein particle concentrations and sizes (proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy) were evaluated in 15 insulin-resistant and 15 insulin-sensitive lean Asians of Chinese descent with normal glucose tolerance, matched on age, sex, and body mass index. Despite a ~50% lower insulin sensitivity index (Si) in insulin-resistant than in insulin-sensitive subjects, which was accompanied by significantly greater acute insulin response to glucose (AIRg) and fasting insulin concentration but not different fasting glucose concentration, there were no significant differences between groups in the blood lipid profile (p ≥ 0.44) or the lipoprotein subclass concentrations (p ≥ 0.30) and particle sizes (p ≥ 0.43). We conclude that, contrary to observations in subjects with obesity, insulin resistance is not accompanied by unfavorable changes in the plasma lipid profile and lipoprotein particle concentrations and sizes in lean Asians with normal glucose tolerance. Therefore, insulin resistance at the level of glucose metabolism is mechanistically or temporally dissociated from lipid and lipoprotein metabolism. Trial Registration: clinicaltrials.gov, NCT03264001.

KW - Faculty of Science

KW - Insulin resistance

KW - Lipoprotein particle size

KW - Obesity phenotypes

KW - Metabolically-unhealthy lean

KW - Nuclear magnetic resonance

U2 - 10.3389/fnut.2021.651199

DO - 10.3389/fnut.2021.651199

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 33718425

VL - 8

JO - Frontiers in Nutrition

JF - Frontiers in Nutrition

SN - 2296-861X

M1 - 651199

ER -