Research

Hormonal

Elevated malonyl-CoA levels in skeletal muscle inhibit fatty acid oxidation and promote lipogenesis, contributing to insulin resistance in obese and type 2 diabetic subjects.

In insulin-resistant individuals, high levels of malonyl-CoA block fat burning and promote fat storage in muscle, worsening insulin resistance. This is driven by low AMPK activity and high ACC activity. While this paper focuses on mechanism, it suggests that interventions restoring AMPK activity (like exercise or specific medications) may help reverse these defects.

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Increased Malonyl-CoA Levels in Muscle From Obese and Type 2 Diabetic Subjects Lead to Decreased Fatty Acid Oxidation and Increased Lipogenesis
Gautam Bandyopadhyay et al. · Diabetes · 2006

Why this rating

Human clinical study with rigorous methodology (clamps, biopsies) but small sample size (n=8 lean, 8 obese, 13 T2D).

Source

Increased Malonyl-CoA Levels in Muscle From Obese and Type 2 Diabetic Subjects Lead to Decreased Fatty Acid Oxidation and Increased Lipogenesis; Thiazolidinedione Treatment Reverses These Defects

Gautam Bandyopadhyay et al. · Diabetes · 2006

DOI 10.2337/db06-0062

clinical_trial · n=29Cited 282×
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DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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