Arachidonic acid content in adipose tissue is associated with insulin resistance in healthy children.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The fatty acid composition of membrane structural lipids, which is partly dependent on dietary intake, is associated with insulin action. AIM: To examine the association between fatty acid composition of adipose tissue and skeletal muscle phospholipids with insulin resistance markers in a healthy pediatric population. METHODS: Using a cross-sectional design, we studied 83 healthy children divided into 3 groups, ages 2 to 5, 6 to 10 and more than 10 years. MEASUREMENTS Fatty acid composition of adipose tissue triacylglycerols and skeletal muscle phospholipids, plasma lipid profile and fasting plasma levels of glucose and insulin were measured. RESULTS: There was a linear increase of insulinemia, glycemia and homeostasis adipose tissue model assessment (HOMA) index throughout the pediatric age range. Linoleic acid proportion in skeletal muscle and arachidonic acid proportion in adipose tissue also increased significantly with age. An age-independent positive correlation between insulinemia or HOMA index and arachidonic acid content in adipose tissue triacylglycerols (r = 0.47, P < 0.001) was found. An age-dependent negative correlation was present between insulinemia or HOMA index and oleic acid content in skeletal muscle phospholipids (r = -0.30, P = 0.03 and r = -0.28, P < 0.04, respectively). Trans fatty acids content did not correlate with any marker of insulin resistance. CONCLUSION: Healthy children present a prepubertal increase of insulin resistance, which is significantly correlated with arachidonic acid content in adipose tissue.