Biochemical Differences in Regional Fat Depots

The regional types of fat described above are biochemically different. Subq adipocytes from the lower body, particularly in women, are larger, very efficient at fat (triacylglycerol [TAG]) deposition, and tend to mobilize fatty acids (FA) more slowly than subq adipocytes from the upper body.

Visceral adipocytes are the most metabolically active. In obese individuals, both abdominal subcutaneous and visceral depots have high rates of lipolysis and contribute to increased availability of free fatty acids (FFA).
These metabolic differences may contribute to the higher health risk found in individuals with upper body (abdominal) obesity. [Note: FFA impair insulin signaling and are proinflammatory .]
1. Endocrine function: White adipose tissue, once thought to be a passive reservoir of TAG, is now known to play an active role in body weight regulatory systems. For example, the adipocyte is an endocrine cell that secretes a number of protein regulators (adipokines), such as the hormones leptin and adiponectin. Leptin regulates appetite as well as metabolism . Adiponectin reduces FFA levels in the blood (by increasing FA oxidation in muscles) and has been associated with improved lipid profiles, increased insulin sensitivity resulting in better glycemic control, and reduced inflammation in patients with diabetes. [Note: Adiponectin levels decrease as body weight increases, whereas leptin levels increase.]
2. Importance of portal circulation: With obesity, there is increased release of FFA and secretion of proinflammatory cytokines, such as interleukin 6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), from adipose tissue. [Note: Cytokines are small proteins that regulate the immune system.] One hypothesis for why abdominal adipose depots have such a large influence on metabolic dysfunction in obesity is that the FFA and cytokines released from these depots enter the portal vein and, therefore, have direct access to the liver. In the liver, they may lead to insulin resistance  and increased hepatic synthesis of TAG, which are released as components of very-low-density lipoprotein particles and contribute to the hypertriacylglycerolemia associated with obesity. By contrast, FFA from lower body subq adipose depots enter the general circulation, where they can be oxidized in muscle and, therefore, reach the liver in lower concentration.