OBESITY: How does "fibrous tissue" develop through "fat tissue" in humans who are obese?
Dennis
Dennis Mazur
The research published in the journal Metabolism, examined a molecule called Lysyl oxidase (LOX) which regulates scarring by making tissue stiffer. The study, Lysyl oxidase and adipose tissue dysfunction, found that this molecule is more prevalent in fat tissue of obese people and that it was increased by inflammation and oxygen deprivation.
Dr Kos and her team examined fat tissues from patients who had undergone bariatric surgery and who gave permission for samples of adipose tissue to be examined. She also compared the properties of adipose tissue with leaner subjects who had undergone elective surgical procedures. There was a higher accumulation of the LOX molecule which regulates scarring in obese patients. Those with a higher BMI also tended to have more of the LOX gene expressed in their adipose tissue. She found that low oxygen levels and inflammation were the main drivers of higher LOX levels. The team also found that LOX was not influenced by major weight loss after bariatric surgery.
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