<i>CIDEA</i> expression in SAT from adolescent girls with obesity and unfavorable patterns of abdominal fat distribution

Abstract Objective This study investigated whether variations in cell death‐inducing DNA fragmentation factor alpha subunit‐like effector A ( CIDEA ) mRNA expression and protein levels are modulated by the pattern of abdominal fat distribution in adolescent girls with obesity. Methods This study recruited 35 adolescent girls with obesity and characterized their abdominal fat distribution by magnetic resonance imaging. Participants had only a periumbilical/abdominal ( n = 14) or a paired abdominal and gluteal subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) biopsy ( n = 21). CIDEA expression was determined by reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction, CIDEA protein level by Western blot, and the turnover of adipose lipids and adipocytes by 2 H 2 O labeling. In six girls, a second abdominal SAT biopsy was performed (after ~34.2 months) to explore the weight gain effect on CIDEA expression in abdominal SAT. Results CIDEA expression decreased in abdominal SAT from participants with high visceral adipose tissue (VAT)/(VAT+SAT); CIDEA inversely correlated with number of small adipocytes, with the increase in preadipocyte proliferation, and with adipogenesis. A strong inverse correlation was found between CIDEA protein level with the newly synthetized glycerol ( r = −0.839, p = 0.0047). Following weight gain, an increase in adipocytes’ cell diameter with a decrease in CIDEA expression and RNA‐sequencing transcriptomic profile typical of adipocyte dysfunction was observed. Conclusions Reduced expression of CIDEA in girls with high VAT/(VAT+SAT) is associated with adipocyte hypertrophy and insulin resistance.