ATGL links insulin dysregulation to insulin resistance in adolescents with obesity and hepatosteatosis

BACKGROUND. This study examined the underlying cellular mechanisms associated with insulin resistance (IR) and metabolic disease risk within subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) in youth with obesity and IR compared with those without IR. METHODS. Thirteen adolescents who were insulin sensitive (IS) and 17 adolescents with IR and obesity underwent a 3-hour oral glucose tolerance test and MRI to measure abdominal fat distribution and liver fat content. Lipolysis was determined by glycerol turnover ([2H5]-glycerol infusion) and adipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL) phosphorylation (Western blot) from SAT samples biopsied prior to and 30-minutes following insulin infusion during a hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp (HEC). RESULTS. Glycerol turnover suppression during the HEC (first step) was lower in participants with IR compared with those with IS. Prior to insulin infusion, activated ATGL (reflected by the p-ATGL (Ser406)-to-ATGL ratio) was greater in participants with IR compared with those with IS and suppressed in response to a 30-minute insulin exposure in participants with IS, but not in those with IR. Lastly, greater ATGL inactivation is associated with greater glycerol suppression and lower liver fat. CONCLUSIONS. Insulin-mediated inhibition of adipose tissue lipolysis via ATGL is dysregulated among adolescents with IR compared with those with IS, thereby serving as a vital mechanism linking glucose and insulin dysregulation and ectopic lipid storage within the liver.