Macro partitioning
During the initial energy restriction phase of a weight loss program, adipose tissue macrophage gene expression is upregulated, which correlates with lower improvements in insulin sensitivity, whereas during subsequent weight stabilization, macrophage gene expression is downregulated and associated with improved insulin sensitivity.
If you are undertaking a significant weight loss program, be aware that the initial rapid weight loss phase (energy restriction) triggers a distinct inflammatory response in fat tissue (upregulation of macrophage genes) that may temporarily blunt improvements in insulin sensitivity compared to the later stabilization phase. This does not mean the weight loss is ineffective, but it highlights that the body's molecular response evolves over time. Consistency through the stabilization phase is crucial for resolving this inflammatory state and maximizing metabolic health benefits.
Accordingly, macrophage markers were upregulated during energy restriction and downregulated during weight stabilization and dietary intervention... The increase in glucose disposal rates in each dietary phase was associated with variation in expression of sets of 80–110 genes... Spearman correlation analysis of the relation between macrophage marker gene expression and insulin sensitivity revealed a negative correlation for centroids of group A and B... during energy restriction: the higher the upregulation of macrophage genes, the lower the improvement in insulin sensitivity
Why this rating
Randomized controlled trial with rigorous metabolic clamping and transcriptomic analysis, though limited to a small subgroup for microarray (n=8) and a larger cohort for qPCR (n=22).
Source
Macrophages and Adipocytes in Human Obesity
Frédéric Capel et al. · Diabetes · 2009
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