Abstract
Object
Intramyocellular lipids (IMCL) were shown to be metabolically highly active. In order to get insight into short-term regulation of IMCL and to reveal related problems with standardization in metabolic studies using the common signal ratio IMCL/Cr3, relative concentration changes from morning to evening in the same day were examined under four different nutritional and exercise conditions.
Material and methods
Twelve healthy male volunteers participated in an interventional program, comprising single days of fasting (F), low-caloric/low-fat diet (LC), or high-caloric/high-fat diet (HC), combined with low physical activity. A forth day course consisted of unchanged nutrition and extensive exercise (EX). 1H-MRS of tibialis anterior (TA) and soleus muscle (SOL) was performed on a 3 T whole-body imager in the early morning and 12 h later after the intervention applying a single voxel STEAM technique.
Results
Interventions resulted in a clear reduction of IMCL/ Cr3 after F (IMCL/Cr3TA: −28.1 ± 4.9%, IMCL/Cr3SOL: −21.0 ± 3.7%) and EX (IMCL/Cr3TA: −33.9 ± 4.9%, IMCL/Cr3SOL: −18.3 ± 3.9%). LC led to slightly decreased IMCL/Cr3 ratio in the evening (IMCL/Cr3TA: −8.7 ± 4.4%, IMCL/Cr3SOL: −7.3 ± 2.7%), whereas negligible changes were detectable after HC (IMCL/Cr3TA: + 0.6 ± 2.3%, IMCL/Cr3LSOL: −0.2 ± 1.3%).
Conclusion
Only high-caloric/high-fat diet combined with low physical activity led to nearly unchanged IMCL/Cr3 ratios in the evening when compared to corresponding measurements in the morning. In contrast, low-caloric/low-fat diet and especially fasting led to increasingly depleted IMCL stores in the evening. This depletion seems to be further emphasized by increased physical activity. An interesting aspect is the marked reduction of IMCL/Cr3 after 12 h of fasting, since a dramatic increase in IMCL has been reported after starvation over several days. Results of this study imply that highly standardized conditions regarding diet and physical activity are necessary for a proper assessment of IMCL data in metabolic studies.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Schick F, Machann F, Brechtel K, Strempfer A, Klumpp B, Stein DT, Jacob S (2002) MRI of muscular fat. Magn Reson Med 47: 720–727
Boesch C, Slotboom J, Hoppeler H, Kreis R (1997) In vivo determination of intra-myocellular lipids in human muscle by means of localized H-1-MR-spectroscopy. Magn Reson Med 37: 484–493
Krššák M, Petersen KF, Bergeron R, Price T, Laurent D, Rothman DL, Roden M, Shulman GI (2000) Intramuscular glycogen and intramyocellular lipid utilization during prolonged exercise and recovery in man: a 13C and 1H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy study. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 85: 748–754
Brechtel K, Niess AM, Machann J, Rett K, Schick F, Claussen CD, Dickhuth H-H, Häring H-U, Jacob S (2001) Utilisation of intramyocellular lipids (IMCLs) during exercise as assessed by proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS). Horm Metab Res 33: 63–66
Boden G, Lebed B, Schatz M, Homko C, Lemieux S (2001) Effects of acute changes of plasma free fatty acids on intramyocellular fat content and insulin resistance in healthy subjects. Diabetes 50: 1612–1617
Brechtel K, Dahl DB, Machann J, Bachmann OP, Wenzel I, Maier T, Claussen CD, Häring HU, Jacob S, Schick F (2001) Fast elevation of the intramyocellular lipid content in the presence of circulating free fatty acids and hyperinsulinemia: a dynamic 1H-MRS study. Magn Reson Med 45: 179–183
Bachmann OP, Dahl DB, Brechtel K, Machann J, Haap M, Maier T, Loviscach M, Stumvoll M, Claussen CD, Schick F, Haring HU, Jacob S (2001) Effects of intravenous and dietary lipid challenge on intramyocellular lipid content and the relation with insulin sensitivity in humans. Diabetes 50: 2579–2584
Stannard SR, Thompson MW, Fairbairn K, Huard B, Sachinwalla T, Thompson CH (2002) Fasting for 72 h increases intramyocellular lipid content in nondiabetic, physically fit men. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 283: E1185–E1191
Wietek BM, Machann J, Mader I, Thamer C, Haring HU, Claussen CD, Stumvoll M, Schick F (2004) Muscle type dependent increase in intramyocellular lipids during prolonged fasting of human subjects: a proton MRS study. Horm Metab Res 36: 639–644
Jacob S, Machann J, Rett K, Brechtel K, Volk A, Renn W, Maerker E, Matthaei S, Schick F, Claussen CD, Haring HU (1999) Association of increased intramyocellular lipid content with insulin resistance in lean nondiabetic offspring of type 2 diabetic subjects. Diabetes 48: 1113–1119
Krššák M, Petersen KF, Dresner A, DiPietro L, Vogel SM, Rothman DL, Shulman GI, Roden M (1999) Intramyocellular lipid concentrations are correlated with insulin sensitivity in humans: a 1H NMR spectroscopy study. Diabetologia 42: 113–116
Perseghin G, Scifo P, De Cobelli F, Pagliato E, Battezzati A, Arcelloni C, Vanzulli A, Testolin G, Pozza G, Del Maschio A, Luzi L (1999) Intramyocellular triglyceride content is a determinant of in vivo insulin resistance in humans: a 1H-13C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy assessment in offspring of type 2 diabetic parents. Diabetes 48: 1600–1606
Virkamaki A, Korsheninnikova E, Seppala-Lindroos A, Vehkavaara S, Goto T, Halavaara J, Hakkinen AM, Yki-Jarvinen H (2001) Intramyocellular lipid is associated with resistance to in vivo insulin actions on glucose uptake, antilipolysis, and early insulin signaling pathways in human skeletal muscle. Diabetes 50: 2337–2343
Thamer C, Machann J, Bachmann O, Haap M, Dahl D, Wietek B, Tschritter O, Niess A, Brechtel K, Fritsche A, Claussen CD, Jacob S, Schick F, Haring HU, Stumvoll M (2003) Intramyocellular lipids: anthropometric determinants and relationships with maximal aerobic capacity and insulin sensitivity. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 88: 1785–1791
Thamer C, Machann J, Tschritter O, Haap M, Wietek B, Dahl D, Bachmann O, Fritsche A, Jacob S, Stumvoll M, Schick F, Haring HU (2002) Relationship between serum adiponectin concentration and intramyocellular lipid stores in humans. Horm Metab Res 34: 646–649
Machann J, Haring H, Schick F, Stumvoll M (2004) Intramyocellular lipids and insulin resistance. Diabetes Obes Metab 6: 239–248
Vanhamme L, van den Boogaart A, Van Huffel S (1997) Improved method for accurate and efficient quantification of MRS data with use of prior knowledge. J Magn Reson 129: 35–43
Naressi A, Couturier C, Devos JM, Janssen M, Mangeat C, de Beer R, Graveron-Demilly D (2001) Java-based graphical user interface for the MRUI quantitation package. Magn Reson Mater Phys 12: 141–152
Matsuda M, DeFronzo R (1999) Insulin sensitivity indices obtained from oral glucose tolerance testing. Diabetes Care 22: 1462–1470
Décombaz J, Schmitt B, Ith M, Decarli B, Diem P, Kreis R, Hoppeler H, Boesch C (2001) Postexercise fat intake repletes intramyocellular lipids but no faster in trained than in sedentary subjects. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 281: R760–R769
Ith M, Huber PM, Egger A, Schmid J-P, Kreis R, Christ E, Boesch C (2010) Standardized protocol for a depletion of intramyocellular lipids (IMCL). NMR Biomed 23: 532–538
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Supported by a grant from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, KFO 114).
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Machann, J., Etzel, M., Thamer, C. et al. Morning to evening changes of intramyocellular lipid content in dependence on nutrition and physical activity during one single day: a volume selective 1H-MRS study. Magn Reson Mater Phy 24, 29–33 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10334-010-0233-8
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10334-010-0233-8