Abstract
Osteocalcin, in its non-carboxylated form, has a positive effect on glucose metabolism. Additionally, osteocalcin levels are related to body composition, especially muscle mass. The relation to the distribution of different adipose tissue types, such as subcutaneous, intermuscular, and visceral adipose tissue, is unclear. This study aimed to investigate associations between serum osteocalcin and the distribution of subcutaneous and intermuscular adipose tissue of the mid-thigh. Furthermore, the influence of different training methods on osteocalcin levels was investigated. We performed adipose tissue quantification of subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) and intramuscular adipose tissue (IMAT) using MRI measurements of the mid-thigh in 128 volunteers (63 male/65 female). Laboratory analysis included blood lipid panel, serum insulin, adiponectin, and osteocalcin measurements. The main observation was a significant correlation of total serum osteocalcin (TOC) and the distribution of adipose tissue of the mid-thigh (SAT/(SAT + IMAT)) (cc = −0.29/p-value = 0.002), as well as the cross-sectional muscle area (MA), increasing with the weekly resistance training duration in males. Additionally, TOC (p-value = 0.01) and MA (p-value = 0.03) were negatively related to serum insulin. The significant relationship between TOC and SAT/(SAT + IMAT) is a new finding and confirms the negative influence of IMAT on glucose metabolism in a sex-specific approach. We could substantiate this by the negative relation of TOC with serum insulin.
Highlights
IntroductionMetabolic syndrome, which represents a complex picture of heterogeneous pathophysiologic backgrounds, is on a worldwide rise
Since osteocalcin affects glucose metabolism, and intermuscular adipose tissue of the mid-thigh appears to be related to glucose metabolism, our study aimed to investigate whether the distribution of adipose tissue of the mid-thigh (SAT/(SAT + intramuscular adipose tissue (IMAT))) is related to total serum osteocalcin levels (TOC)
We were able to indicate a correlation between TOC and adipose tissue distribution, represented by the factor (SAT/(SAT + IMAT)) in the mid-thigh in the male group, which has not been described before to our knowledge
Summary
Metabolic syndrome, which represents a complex picture of heterogeneous pathophysiologic backgrounds, is on a worldwide rise. It is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases, such as stroke and heart attack, and metabolic conditions, such as type 2 diabetes [1,2]. Studies have shown that metabolism, especially glucose metabolism, can be influenced by bone tissue’s structural and endocrine properties. Bone tissue is an important component of the musculoskeletal system with supporting and protective functions but has received attention as an important endocrine organ [3,4,5]
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