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Program in Nutritional Metabolism (S.D.D., G.E.M., K.L., C.H., S.G.), Neuroendocrine Unit (S.D.D., G.E.M., K.L., C.H., A.K., S.G.), and Division of Musculoskeletal Radiology (M.T.), Massachusetts General Hospital, and Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (W.R.F.), Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02114
Address all correspondence and requests for reprints to: Steven Grinspoon, M.D., Program in Nutritional Metabolism, 55 Fruit Street, LON207, Boston, Massachusetts 02144-2696. E-mail: sgrinspoon{at}partners.org.
| Abstract |
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| Introduction |
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Recent studies have shown that higher intramyocellular lipid concentrations, measured by magnetic resonance spectroscopy, are strongly associated with insulin resistance in HIV-infected patients (23, 24). In addition, our group recently demonstrated lower muscle attenuation by computed tomography (CT) in patients with HIV-lipodystrophy, indicative of higher muscle adiposity (25). Muscle attenuation was found to be a strong independent predictor of hyperinsulinemia in this population, controlling for body mass index (BMI) and abdominal visceral and abdominal sc fat in multivariate regression modeling (25).
Additional metabolic indices, such as adiponectin and free fatty acids (FFAs), have also been associated with insulin resistance in HIV-infected patients. Reduced adipose tissue expression and circulating concentrations of adiponectin have been shown in patients with HIV-lipodystrophy in association with insulin resistance, decreased extremity fat, and increased trunk fat (26, 27, 28, 29). Increased plasma FFA concentrations are seen in HIV-infected patients with fat redistribution and also correlate with insulin resistance in this population (30, 31).
In this study, we sought to determine the effects of metformin and exercise training on specific and detailed measures of body composition and to assess whether a change in muscle adiposity contributes to the beneficial effects of exercise training in HIV-infected patients with fat redistribution and insulin resistance. We previously showed that exercise training and metformin was more beneficial than metformin alone on measures of insulin (32) and have now analyzed the effects of these treatments on muscle attenuation and sc leg fat and more detailed metabolic indices, including adiponectin and FFA. Our data demonstrate that exercise in combination with metformin improves muscle attenuation more than metformin alone and suggest that a reduction in muscle adiposity is an important mechanistic factor and treatment target for insulin resistance in HIV-lipodystrophy.
| Subjects and Methods |
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From October 2000 to August 2002, 84 subjects were recruited through community advertisements and primary care provider referral. Eligible subjects were seen at the Clinical Research Centers of the Massachusetts General Hospital and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. As previously described (32), eligible subjects were between 18 and 60 yr of age, HIV positive, on a stable antiretroviral regimen for more than 3 months, with fasting insulin greater than or equal to 15 µIU/ml (104 pmol/liter) or 2-h insulin greater than or equal to 75 µIU/ml (521 pmol/liter), and evidence of fat redistribution [truncal obesity with a waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) > 0.90 in men and >0.85 in women and a lipodystrophy score > 2]. Lipodystrophy scores were calculated based on evaluation of the face, neck/shoulders, arms, abdomen, and hips/legs with graded values between 0 and 2 for fat loss or accumulation, as previously described (32). Fasting and 2-h hyperinsulinemia were defined in advance based on the 90th percentile for healthy subjects ages 2650 yr old in the Framingham Offspring Study (Meigs, J., personal communication).
Subjects were excluded from the study if they had been hospitalized because of new opportunistic infections within the 6 wk before enrollment. Subjects with a history of unstable angina, aortic stenosis, uncontrolled hypertension, severe neuropathy, arthritis, prior history of diabetes mellitus or fasting plasma glucose of greater than or equal to 126 mg/dl (6.99 mmol/liter), current substance abuse, or other contraindication to exercise were also excluded. In addition, subjects requiring parenteral nutrition, parenteral or oral glucocorticoid therapy (>7.5 mg daily), estrogen, progesterone derivatives, supraphysiological testosterone, or ketoconazole within 3 months of enrollment were excluded.
Of the 84 subjects screened, 42 were ineligible, five declined to participate, 12 withdrew, and 25 completed the protocol. All subjects gave written informed consent, and the study was approved by the Human Research Committee at the Massachusetts General Hospital and the Committee on Use of Human Subjects at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Data on limited body composition parameters, strength, cardiovascular risk markers, and insulin and glucose responses to oral glucose tolerance testing (OGTT) were previously published (32). We subsequently analyzed the change from baseline in anterior thigh muscle attenuation and sc leg fat by CT in relationship to changes in insulin and other metabolic indices, including adiponectin and FFA.
Protocol
At baseline, eligible subjects underwent an OGTT for insulin responses, HIV viral load, and CD4 count after a 12-h fast. Anthropometric measurements were obtained, including WHR. Single-slice cross- sectional CT scans at mid-thigh and abdomen and a total-body dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) were performed. On completion of the 3-month intervention, subjects returned for testing identical to that at baseline.
Eligible subjects were randomly assigned to one of two treatment groups (metformin alone or metformin and exercise) at baseline. Randomization was performed by the Biostatistics Center of the Massachusetts General Hospital Clinical Research Center, using a permuted block algorithm. The metformin-only treatment group received 500 mg metformin twice a day, with a dose increase to 850 mg twice a day after 2 wk, provided that resting lactic acid levels were within normal limits and no serious side effects were reported.
Subjects randomized to exercise training received metformin, as described above, and also began an aerobic and resistance exercise training program. The exercise training session began with a 5-min warm-up on a stationary bicycle and a standard flexibility routine to minimize the risk of injury (33), followed by an aerobic component set for 20 min during the first 2 wk and 30 min thereafter. The intensity of the aerobic component was 60% of maximal heart rate during the first 2 wk and 75% thereafter. The aerobic training program followed the general guidelines established by the American College of Sports Medicine (34). On completion of the aerobic component, a resistance training program was performed, using constant external resistance Life Circuit equipment, alternating upper and lower body exercises in the following order: 1) hip extension, 2) lateral pull down, 3) knee extension, 4) elbow flexion, 5) knee flexion, and 6) chest press. Resistance training was based on the progressive resistance exercise concept originally proposed by De Lorme and Watkins (35). Subjects performed three sets of 10 repetitions each for every muscle group, resting 23 sec between repetitions, 2 min between sets, and 4 min between muscle groups. The initial intensity of exercise was 60% of the one-repetition maximum (1 RM). After 2 wk, the relative intensity was increased to 70% of the 1 RM and after an additional 2 wk to 80% of the 1 RM. The 1 RM was measured every other week, and the absolute load was adjusted accordingly to maintain the relative intensity at 80% of the 1 RM. Each training session was supervised by a physical therapist from the Physical Therapy Services of the Massachusetts General Hospital and conducted at the Massachusetts General Hospital affiliated Charles River Park Health Club.
Experimental methods
Body composition analysis. CT scans were performed with a LightSpeed CT scanner (General Electric, Milwaukee, WI). A lateral scout image of the abdomen was obtained to identify the L4 pedicle, which served as a landmark for a single-slice image at this level. Scan parameters for each image were standardized (144-cm table height, 80 kV, 70 mA, 2 sec, 1-cm slice thickness, and 48-cm field of view). The single cross-sectional CT image at L4 was used to assess distribution of sc and visceral abdominal fat. Fat attenuation values were set at 50 to 250 Hounsfield units as described by Borkan et al. (36) and intraabdominal visceral and sc fat areas were determined on the basis of tracings obtained using graphical analysis software (Alice; Parexel, Waltham, MA).
A coronal scout image was used to prescribe an axial CT image of the left thigh. The image was obtained at midpoint between the articular surface of the femoral head and medial femoral condyle using 120 kV, 170 mA, 2 sec, 1-cm slice thickness, and 36-cm field of view. The sc tissue area and muscle attenuation were measured using graphical analysis software (Alice; Parexel). Manual tracings separated sc fat and anterior and posterior muscle compartments. Subfascial adipose tissue interspersed between the muscle was excluded from the determination of muscle area and muscle attenuation and included in the determination of the sc fat compartment. Muscle attenuation in Hounsfield units was determined in the anterior left thigh muscle compartment. The coefficient of variation for the measurement of mid-femur thigh muscle attenuation in our laboratory is 2.4%.
Whole-body DEXA (DXA; QDR-4500 densitometer, Hologic, Waltham, MA) was performed to assess fat mass, with a precision error of 3% for fat (37).
BMI was calculated from fasting weight and height measurements at baseline and 3 months. WHR was determined by fasting measurements of waist circumference at the umbilicus and hip circumference at the level of the iliac crest with the patient in an upright, standing position.
Laboratory methods. Insulin levels were measured in serum samples using RIA (Diagnostic Products Corp., Los Angeles, CA). Intra- and interassay coefficients of variation ranged from 3.19.3% and 4.910%, respectively. CD4 counts were measured by flow cytometry (FACS scan analyzer, Becton Dickinson and Co., San Jose, CA). HIV viral load was determined by ultrasensitive assay (Amplicor HIV-1 Monitor Assay, Roche Molecular Systems, Branchburg, NJ) with limits of detection of 5075,000 copies/ml.
Nonesterified or FFA concentrations were measured using an in vitro enzymatic colorimetric assay kit (Wako Chemicals USA, Inc., Richmond, VA). The intraassay coefficient of variation for FFA ranged from 1.12.7%. The published normal range for FFA is 0.10.6 mmol/liter. Adiponectin levels were measured in serum samples using a RIA kit (LINCO Research, Inc., St. Charles, MO). Intraassay coefficients of variation were 3.59, 6.21, and 1.78% for samples that target a low (1.5 µg/ml), middle (3 µg/ml), and high (7.5 µg/ml) concentration of adiponectin, respectively. Interassay coefficients of variation were 9.25, 6.90, and 9.25% for low (1.5 µg/ml), middle (3 µg/ml), and high (7.5 µg/ml) concentration of adiponectin, respectively.
Statistical analysis.
Baseline characteristics were compared between randomization groups using the Wilcoxons rank-sum test and the Fishers exact test for noncontinuous variables. Median change from baseline between treatment groups was compared using the Wilcoxons rank-sum test. Simple linear regression analysis was used to compare changes from baseline in fasting and 2-h insulin levels with changes from baseline for various measures of body composition. A best-fit multivariate regression analysis model was developed using various body composition measures, specifically WHR, DEXA trunk fat, CT visceral abdominal fat, CT sc leg fat, and CT anterior thigh muscle attenuation, to explain changes in insulin. Statistical analysis was performed using JMP Statistical Database Software (version 4, SAS Institute, Cary, NC). Statistical significance was defined as P
0.05. All data are presented as median values with interquartile ranges, except where otherwise indicated.
| Results |
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Among subjects completing the protocol, the mean percentage compliance ± SEM with exercise sessions was 93 ± 2%, time on the stationary bicycle was 97 ± 2% of expected, and completion of weight repetitions was 97 ± 1%. Metformin compliance determined by pill count was 99.1 ± 1% (mean ± SEM) in the metformin and exercise training group and 93 ± 5% in the metformin-only group.
As previously reported, fasting insulin and insulin area under the curve improved significantly more and 2-h insulin tended to improve more in the metformin and exercise group in comparison with the metformin-only group (Table 2
) (32). There was a statistically significant (P < 0.05) difference in the change from baseline in CT anterior thigh muscle attenuation between treatment groups (Fig. 1
and Table 2
). Muscle attenuation increased to a greater extent in the combined treatment group, demonstrating reduced muscle adiposity in response to metformin and exercise. In contrast, muscle attenuation decreased in the metformin-only group, suggesting an increase in intramuscular adiposity (Fig. 1
). In addition, there was an improvement in thigh muscle cross-sectional area and a trend toward a greater reduction in CT sc leg fat in the metformin and exercise group in comparison with the metformin-only group (Table 2
). WHR decreased significantly more in the metformin and exercise group in comparison with the metformin-only group (Table 2
). Adiponectin tended to decrease more in the metformin and exercise group in comparison with the metformin-only group, and FFA concentrations did not change significantly between treatment groups (Table 2
).
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The overall improvement in fasting insulin with exercise and metformin compared with metformin alone (Tables 2
and 3
) occurred despite trends toward greater reductions in sc fat and adiponectin. Neither the addition of adiponectin nor FFA to the multivariate models changed the results (data not shown).
| Discussion |
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The results from our previous study demonstrate that a combined aerobic and resistance exercise training program given together with metformin improves strength, aerobic endurance, WHR, CT thigh muscle cross-sectional area, blood pressure, and insulin more than metformin alone in HIV-infected patients with fat redistribution and insulin resistance (32). In this study, we evaluated anterior thigh muscle attenuation to determine whether anterior thigh muscle attenuation improved in the exercise treatment group and whether such a change affected insulin, controlling for specific changes in other fat depots. Our data demonstrate a significant increase in muscle attenuation in the metformin and exercise treatment group vs. the metformin-only group, indicative of reduced muscle adiposity.
Torriani et al. (25) found higher psoas muscle adiposity by CT attenuation measurements in a previous cross-sectional study of HIV-lipodystrophy patients compared with nonlipodystrophic HIV-infected patients and healthy control subjects. In addition, muscle adiposity was found to be highly associated with hyperinsulinemia (25). Our present study further validates and extends these findings in a different population of HIV-infected patients, showing the degree to which changes in muscle adiposity determine effects on insulin in response to different insulin-sensitizing strategies. Furthermore, we used data on muscle attenuation from the anterior thigh muscles, a region that was exercised in the treatment protocol and for which we had specific information on sc fat and muscle cross-sectional area.
The association between decreased thigh muscle adiposity and decreased insulin found in the current study remained significant in regression models controlling for other important regional fat depots. The models explained a significant degree of the variance in fasting and 2-h insulin. Of note, combined treatment with metformin and exercise, more than metformin alone, tended to decrease leg sc fat. Previously, Mynarcik et al. (14) showed an inverse relationship between extremity fat and insulin sensitivity in HIV-infected patients. We show a similar relationship using leg CT, a direct measure of leg sc fat area, in multivariate modeling. These data in a human lipodystrophic model further support previous animal data suggesting the importance of sc fat to maintain normal insulin sensitivity (38). Taken together, our data suggest that the improvement in insulin in the metformin and exercise group occurs, in part, because of the beneficial effects of exercise on muscle adiposity and trunk fat, despite a relatively greater loss of sc fat in this group. Additional studies are necessary to verify these results in larger studies of insulin-resistant patients.
Magnetic resonance spectroscopy is a commonly used and validated measure of intramyocellular lipid concentration. Intramyocellular lipid concentration, as determined by magnetic resonance spectroscopy, correlates with lipid content on muscle biopsy and insulin sensitivity in non-HIV-infected patients (16, 17, 18, 39, 40, 41, 42). In contrast to intramyocellular lipid concentration measurements using magnetic resonance spectroscopy, CT muscle attenuation measurements assess regional muscle adiposity or the relative fat content of muscle in a given area. However, CT attenuation measurements are much easier to perform than intramyocellular lipid concentration measurements and do not require spectroscopy. CT attenuation measurements of muscle tissue content have been validated through comparison with muscle biopsy (43) and magnetic resonance imaging (44) in non-HIV populations. Additional work is necessary to validate this technique against biopsy results in the HIV population, but the strong associations with insulin in our study suggest that determination of muscle attenuation is biologically meaningful and useful as a technique to further characterize regional adiposity in this population.
Several studies link the accumulation of intramuscular lipid with reduced insulin sensitivity, but the mechanism is not completely understood. Intramyocellular lipid may decrease muscle glucose uptake. FFAs are known to decrease phosphatidyl inositol (PI)-3 kinase-associated insulin signaling (45, 46) and may contribute to insulin resistance among patients with increased intramuscular lipid. Several studies in type II diabetics have shown a correlation between higher concentrations of plasma FFA, intramyocellular triglyceride content, and muscle insulin resistance (47, 48). HIV-infected patients with fat redistribution and insulin resistance demonstrate higher plasma FFA concentrations (30, 31). In this study, we did not see significant changes in FFA between treatment groups, suggesting that the changes in insulin were related more directly to other factors in this intervention study.
Adiponectin is an adipokine that has also been implicated as a contributor to insulin resistance in HIV-lipodystrophy. Several studies in HIV populations show that patients with HIV-lipodystrophy have lower plasma and adipose adiponectin levels than HIV-infected patients without lipodystrophy and normal control subjects (26, 27, 28). Adiponectin levels have been shown to negatively correlate with insulin sensitivity in this population (26, 27, 28, 29). We have previously shown that adiponectin is positively associated with extremity fat and negatively associated with trunk fat in patients with HIV-lipodystrophy (28). In this study, adiponectin tended to decrease more in the metformin and exercise group in comparison with the metformin-only group. Despite reductions in sc fat and adiponectin, there was an overall improvement in insulin sensitivity in response to combined treatment with metformin and exercise.
The phenomenon of improved insulin sensitivity with both acute and chronic exercise training has been well documented in several non-HIV populations (49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55); however, the specific physiological mechanism is not well understood. Limited physiological studies of exercise in normal, insulin-resistant, and type II diabetic subjects demonstrate an up-regulation of GLUT-4 and PI-3 kinase expression, which may explain the increased glucose transport and phosphorylation by insulin observed after exercise training (52, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62). More recently, activation of atypical protein kinase C, which operates downstream of PI-3 kinase, has been shown with exercise training (63). To date, there have been no investigations looking at the biochemical mechanisms behind improved insulin sensitivity with exercise training in HIV-infected patients. Furthermore, we are not aware of previous studies investigating the effects of exercise on muscle adiposity and regional body composition parameters in relationship to insulin sensitivity in HIV or non-HIV populations.
The mechanisms by which metformin improves insulin sensitivity are also not entirely understood, but it is thought that metformin primarily acts to improve hepatic glucose production. In a recent study, Zhou et al. (64) showed that metformin may act to improve AMP kinase in the liver and inhibit hepatic glucose production. Recent studies suggest that metformin may also increase AMP kinase activity in the muscle, which may stimulate glucose uptake and also increase muscle fatty acid oxidation (65). To our knowledge, no previous study has investigated the effects of metformin on muscle adiposity and the specific effects of metformin on regional fat depots, including muscle, in humans. Our data demonstrate that metformin does not improve muscle adiposity in patients with HIV-lipodystrophy. In contrast, muscle adiposity tended to increase in the metformin-only patients. This increase in muscle adiposity may be due, in part, to the natural history of disease progression or a unique interaction in the HIV population. Additional studies are necessary to investigate the effects of metformin on muscle adiposity in this and other populations. In addition, we did not assess liver fat, which may also affect insulin sensitivity and may be an additional determinant of insulin sensitivity in this population.
In previous studies, lifestyle modification treatment strategies, including weight loss and physical activity, improved glucose more than metformin (66, 67). Our study population cannot be directly compared with non-HIV-infected populations with glucose intolerance and insulin resistance; however, it is intriguing to speculate that the observed differential effects of exercise and metformin on muscle adiposity may in part explain such results. Additional studies are necessary to investigate whether the differential effects of metformin and exercise on regional adiposity and insulin sensitivity observed in this study extend to other populations with insulin resistance.
The fat redistribution seen in HIV-lipodystrophy is heterogeneous, and the changes may not be mechanistically linked (68). The predominant feature may be loss of sc fat, but visceral fat accumulation may also occur, as seen in the patient population we selected. The changes in fat distribution seen in our patient population, namely increased visceral fat, increased muscle adiposity, and decreased sc fat, may simultaneously contribute to insulin resistance. Our results demonstrate that various treatment strategies will affect such depots differentially, accounting for greater or lesser effects on insulin. Our results suggest that exercise may be beneficial because it reduces muscle adiposity, but this effect is partially negated by a further reduction of sc fat in the HIV population. A more ideal strategy might be one that decreases muscle adiposity while increasing sc fat and decreasing abdominal fat. In contrast to the regimen of exercise and metformin, preliminary studies of the thiazolidinediones in insulin-resistant patients with HIV-lipodystrophy have shown significantly increased adiponectin in association with improved sc fat (69, 70), but the effect of the thiazolidinediones on intramuscular lipid content is not known. Because metformin and exercise work to decrease intramuscular adiposity and trunk fat, at the expense of sc fat, it is not known whether this strategy would be as effective in patients with primary lipoatrophy, in whom the thiazolidinediones might be a more logical therapeutic strategy.
Larger longitudinal treatment studies investigating the relationship between intramuscular lipid content and insulin sensitivity are needed to establish the mechanisms and optimal treatment strategies for insulin resistance in HIV-lipodystrophy. Our data further link higher muscle adiposity and insulin resistance in HIV-lipodystrophy. Exercise in combination with metformin reduces muscle adiposity as measured by CT attenuation in concert with decreased abdominal fat and decreased sc fat. The reduction in sc fat may not be beneficial with respect to insulin resistance, but the net effect of combined aerobic and progressive resistance training and metformin on critical regional fat depots is beneficial with respect to insulin. Our data provide new insight into the mechanisms and potential efficacy of treatment strategies for insulin resistance in the HIV population and strongly suggest that therapies reducing muscle adiposity will improve insulin sensitivity.
| Acknowledgments |
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| Footnotes |
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Abbreviations: BMI, Body mass index; CT, computed tomography; DEXA, dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry; FFA, free fatty acid; OGTT, oral glucose tolerance testing; PI, phosphatidyl inositol; WHR, waist-to-hip ratio.
Received October 27, 2003.
Accepted January 27, 2004.
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by insulin and phosphatidylinositol-3,4,5-(PO4)3 is defective in muscle in type 2 diabetes and impaired glucose tolerance: amelioration by rosiglitazone and exercise. Diabetes 52:19261934This article has been cited by other articles:
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