The Metabolic Classroom with Dr. Ben Bikman

Aging, and the Life of Fat with Dr. Ben Bikman

Mar 13, 2024

Delve into the fascinating world of fat tissue as a complex endocrine organ, not just a simple energy reserve. Discover how the enzyme lipoprotein lipase is influenced by insulin, exercise, and hormones, impacting where fat is stored in our bodies. Learn about gender-specific patterns, with men storing fat around the abdomen and women in subcutaneous areas. Aging brings its own changes in fat distribution, especially post-menopause. This enlightening conversation reveals how our understanding of fat can transform our approach to health.

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INSIGHT

Fat Tissue's Role

Fat tissue isn't just for storage; it's an endocrine organ.
It produces hormones and signals affecting various bodily functions.

INSIGHT

Lipoprotein Lipase (LPL)

Lipoprotein lipase (LPL) pulls fats from the bloodstream for storage.
Fat storage location depends on LPL expression, influenced by factors like insulin and exercise.

INSIGHT

Sex Hormones and Fat Storage

Sex hormones influence LPL expression, affecting fat storage locations.
Testosterone increases central abdominal fat in males, while estrogen increases subcutaneous fat in females (breasts, buttocks, hips).

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In this episode of The Metabolic Classroom, Professor Ben Bikman, a biomedical scientist specializing in diabetes, metabolism, and fat tissue, delves deeper into the topic of fat tissue, focusing specifically on its storage locations and the factors influencing them.

Dr. Bikman emphasizes the complexity and nuance of fat tissue beyond its commonly recognized role in energy storage, insulation, and cushioning, highlighting its function as an endocrine organ that produces various hormones and signals.

Ben begins by discussing the enzyme lipoprotein lipase (LPL), which plays a crucial role in fat storage by pulling fats off circulating triglyceride-rich lipoproteins in the bloodstream. He explains how the expression and activity of LPL are influenced by factors such as insulin, exercise, and sex hormones, particularly testosterone and estrogen.

The lecture explores how sex differences play a significant role in fat storage patterns, with males tending to store fat centrally around the abdomen due to increased LPL expression induced by testosterone, while females typically store more fat in subcutaneous depots such as the breasts, buttocks, and hips, influenced by estrogen. Ben also discusses the impact of menopause on fat storage, noting shifts towards central fat deposition in women as estrogen levels decline.

Additionally, Dr. Bikman touches on the effects of aging on fat storage, explaining how fat cell number tends to plateau in adulthood and decrease in older age, leading to hypertrophy (enlargement) of existing fat cells and potentially ectopic fat deposition in organs like the liver and pancreas.

The lecture concludes with Ben addressing the difference between hyperplasia (increased fat cell number) and hypertrophy (increased fat cell size) in subcutaneous and visceral fat depots, emphasizing the metabolic implications of storing fat in different locations. He also briefly mentions the influence of non-caloric signals, such as chemicals leached from plastics, on fat cell growth.

Overall, the lecture provides a comprehensive overview of the multifaceted nature of fat tissue storage, highlighting the interplay of hormonal, physiological, and environmental factors in shaping fat distribution and its metabolic consequences.

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