International Journal of Obesity (2001) 25, 1585–1591

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PAPER
Increase in plasma pollutant levels in response to
weight loss in humans is related to in vitro
subcutaneous adipocyte basal lipolysis
P Imbeault1, J Chevrier1, É Dewailly1, P Ayotte1, JP Després2,3, A Tremblay1 and P Mauriège1*

1
Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Laval University, Ste-Foy, Québec, Canada; 2Quebec Heart Institute, Laval
Hospital, Québec, Canada; and 3Lipid Research Center, Laval University Medical Research Center, Québec, Canada

OBJECTIVE: To examine whether weight loss-induced changes in in vitro basal lipolysis of subcutaneous abdominal and femoral
fat cells were related to those in plasma organochlorine levels.
DESIGN: A 15 week weight loss program induced by a moderate caloric restriction.
SUBJECTS: Seventeen men and 20 women (age 36 – 50 y, body fat 25 – 50%).
MEASUREMENTS: In vitro basal lipolysis of subcutaneous abdominal and femoral adipocytes and plasma levels of five
polychlorinated biphenyl congeners (Aroclor 1260, PCBs 118, 138, 153 and 180) and three chlorinated pesticides (dichlor-
0
odiphenyl dichloroethene (p,p -DDE), beta-hexachlorocyclohexane (b-HCH) and hexachlorobenzene (HCB)) were measured
before and after the weight reducing program.
RESULTS: Both genders showed a similar reduction in body weight (  11 kg) in response to treatment, although men lost
significantly more fat mass than women (mean  s.d., 9.4  4.1 vs 5.9  5 kg, respectively, P < 0.05). Mean basal fat cell lipolysis
did not vary before and after weight reduction, regardless of depots and genders. In response to weight loss, significant
0
increases of all organochlorines investigated were observed in men, whereas only p,p -DDE, Aroclor 1260, PCBs 153 and 180
significantly rose in women. In men, higher the increase in basal lipolysis of subcutaneous abdominal or femoral adipocytes,
greater the rise in plasma levels of most pollutants (HCB, Aroclor 1260, PCBs 118, 138 and 153) was in response to weight loss
(0.51 < r < 0.70, P < 0.05). Similar positive correlations were also observed in women but only a few reached statistical
0
significance (p,p -DDE, PCBs 118 and 180).
CONCLUSION: The weight loss-induced increase in plasma pollutant levels is related to the rise in subcutaneous abdominal and
femoral adipocyte basal lipolysis, especially in men.
International Journal of Obesity (2001) 25, 1585 – 1591

0
Keywords: organochlorine compounds; PCB; p,p -DDE; reduced-obese

Introduction
Quality of life and comfort have considerably increased
during the industrialization era for most Western countries.
However, this period of time has also been characterized by
the production of cheap petrochemical organochlorine com-
pounds (OC) displaying high resistance to degradation.
Biological half-lives of several years have been reported in
*Correspondence: P Mauriège, Department of Social and Preventive
Medecine, Division of Kinesiology, Laval University, Ste-Foy, Québec,
Canada G1K 7P4.
E-mail: mauriege@club-internet.fr
Received 13 November 2000; revised 21 March 2001;
accepted 9 May 2001
humans for the most persistent OC.1 OC were used as highly
effective pesticides, dielectrics, fire retardants and were
included in ink, plastic and rubber mixtures. Due to their
lipophilicity, these compounds preferentially bioaccumulate
and biomagnify in higher trophic levels of the food chain.2,3
Newsome et al4 have previously reported a mean dietary
intake of 5.7 ng polychlorinated biphenyl congeners=kg
body weight=day for Canadians between 1992 and 1996.
Consequently, although the use of these substances has
been banned or restricted in Western countries, they are
still found in virtually every person on the planet and
might cause adverse effects in humans.2,5
Since pollutants are stored in fat, it has been postulated
that adipose tissue loss could result in increased organ and
 Adipose tissue lipolysis, weight loss and pollutants
P Imbeault et al
1586
blood concentrations of these compounds.6 A previous study
has confirmed this hypothesis by reporting increased
dichlorodiphenyl trichloroethane (DDT)-related compounds
concentrations in blood, adipose tissue, heart, lung, spleen
and brain in starved mice which were a priori treated with a
load of 14C-DDT.7 The impact of body weight loss on plasma
and adipose tissue OC has also been evaluated in humans.
Indeed, the concentrations of dichlorodiphenyl dichlor-
0
oethene (p,p -DDE) and DDT were found to increase in the
plasma and subcutaneous fat of morbidly obese humans who
were undergoing extensive weight loss in response to an
intestinal bypass operation.8 More recently, we have shown
that a moderate weight loss induced by a caloric restriction
of obese subjects was accompanied by a 10 – 29% increase in
plasma and adipose tissue concentrations of detected OC.9
We have also reported that, the higher the fat mass loss, the
greater the increase in plasma organochlorine levels in
response to the weight loss program.
Although we suspect that the output of toxic substances
from adipose tissue compartment into the blood stream is
related to the mobilization of intraadipocyte lipid droplets
during caloric restriction, no study has yet verified whether
this process is proportional to variation in adipose tissue
lipolytic activity in humans. Therefore, the aim of this study
was to verify whether there were relationships between
weight loss-induced changes in in vitro basal lipolysis of
subcutaneous abdominal and femoral adipocytes and those
in plasma organochlorine concentrations in a sample of 37
obese subjects.
Material and methods
Subjects
Seventeen men and 20 women, all Caucasian, were recruited
through the media and gave their written informed consent
to participate in this study, which was approved by the Laval
University Medical Ethics Committee. All individuals under-
went a medical evaluation by a physician, which included a
medical history. Subjects with cardiovascular disease, dia-
betes mellitus, endocrine disorders, or those on medication
which could have influenced triglyceride metabolism (b-
blockers, antihypertensive drugs, etc) were excluded from
the study. All participants were sedentary, non-smokers and
moderate alcohol consumers. None had recently been on a
diet or involved in a weight-reducing program, and their
body weight had been stable during the last 6 months prior
to the study.
All subjects participated in a 15 week weight loss program
induced by a moderate caloric restriction which took into
account the individual macronutrient composition of sub-
jects, as reported in their 3 day dietary record before the
study (18 – 19% protein, 38 – 39% fat, 41 – 46% carbohydrate
and 1 – 2% alcohol of total energy intake). This non-macro-
nutrient specific energy restricted diet was fixed in part with
a resting metabolic rate (RMR) measurement to which an
activity factor of 1.410 was multiplied to estimate daily
International Journal of Obesity
energy expenditure (DEE) of subjects who where sedentary
at the onset of the program. To fix energy intake of the
weight-reducing program, 700 kcal were subtracted from
DEE.
Total body fatness and regional fat distribution
Body weight was taken with a standard beam scale. Body
density was determined by the underwater weighing techni-
que and percentage body fat was derived from body den-
sity.11 Pulmonary residual volume was measured using the
helium dilution method.12 Fat mass and fat-free mass were
derived from the percentage of body fat and total body
weight. Computed tomography (CT) was performed with a
Siemens Somatom DRH scanner (Erlangen, Germany),
according to the methodology previously described by Sjös-
tröm et al.13 Briefly, subjects were examined in the supine
position with both arms stretched above the head. CT scans
were performed both at the abdominal (between L4 and L5
vertebrae) and femoral (mid-distance between the knee joint
and the iliac crest) levels, using a scout radiograph to estab-
lish the position of the scans to the nearest millimeter. Total
adipose tissue (AT) areas were calculated by delineating the
abdomen with a graph pen and then computing AT surfaces
with an attenuation range of 7190 to 730 Hounsfield units
(HU)14 Abdominal visceral AT area was measured by drawing
a line within the muscle wall surrounding the abdominal
cavity. The abdominal subcutaneous AT area was determined
by subtracting the visceral AT area from the total abdominal
AT area.
Adipocyte isolation and lipolysis
After an overnight fast, participants were subjected to biop-
sies of subcutaneous fat, one performed at the periumbilical
region (abdominal site) and the other at the anterior mid-
thigh level (femoral site). Local anesthesia (1% xylocaine,
without epinephrine) was performed in such a way that it
did not influence the metabolic activity of excised AT.15
Biopsies were performed before and 4 – 6 weeks after the
end of the treatment when all subjects were weight stable.
Samples of 250 mg AT were used for the measurement of
fat cell lipolysis. Adipocytes were isolated according to the
method of Rodbell16 in a Krebs – Ringer bicarbonate buffer
(pH 7.4; KRB) containing 4% bovine serum albumin and
5 mmol=l glucose (KRBA), plus 1 mg=ml collagenase, as pre-
viously described.15 Digestion took place in a shaking water
bath under an air gas phase of 95% O2 and 5% CO2, for
40 min at 37 C. The suspension was then filtered and the
cellular filtrate obtained was rinsed three times with 5 ml
KRBA. Isolated adipocytes were finally resuspended in KRBA
to obtain a final concentration of approximately 500 cells
per 50 ml.
Extracellular glycerol release was used as the indicator of
adipocyte lipolysis. Aliquots 50 ml of the continuously stirred
cell suspension were placed in 1.5 ml conical tubes. Two of

these tubes were used for cell counting and sizing; two others
containing 10 ml KRB were immediately placed on ice and
provided evaluation of the initial concentration of glycerol
in the medium (basal lipolysis). After a 2 h incubation at
37 C in a shaking water bath under an air gas phase of 95%
O2 and 5% CO2, 50 ml HCl (1 N) were added to all tubes to
stop the reaction, then 50 ml NaOH (1 N) were added to
neutralize the medium. Tubes were stored at 720 C until
glycerol determination. The NADH concentration was mea-
sured by bioluminescence with a luciferase solution, using
an automated 2250 Dynatech luminometer (Chantilly, VA).
Glycerol measurement by bioluminescence is very sensitive
and especially well adapted when only small amounts of AT
are available.15,17 Adipose cell diameters were determined
using a Leitz microscope equipped with a graduated ocular
(Rockleigh, NJ, USA). The mean fat cell diameter was assessed
from the measurement of at least 500 cells, and the density
of triolein was used to transform adipose cell volume into fat
cell weight, as previously described.18
Lipolysis was expressed either per cell number (ie, in mmol
of glycerol=106 cells2 h) or per unit of cell surface area
(ie, in nmol of glycerol=mm21082 h), the latter mode
of expression being used to correct for variation in fat
cell size, which is well known to influence the rate of
lipolysis.17,19
Chemical analysis
Based on our previous observations9 and to simplify the
statistical analyses, only the most abundant OC found in
plasma were considered. Briefly, four PCB congeners (Inter-
national Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry nos.: 118,
138, 153 and 180), one commercial PCB mixture formerly
used in electrical transformers, Aroclor 1260 and three
0
chlorinated pesticides (p,p -dichlorodiphenyl dichloroethene
0
(p,p -DDE), beta-hexachlorocyclohexane (b-HCH) and hexa-
chlorobenzene (HCB)) were determined in plasma samples.
Blood samples were taken before and following weight loss.
Samples were first spiked with the internal standard (PCB
congener no. 198), homogenized in hexane:acetone (2 : 1,
v=v) and the resulting organic phase washed with water to
remove the bulk of the acetone. An aliquot of the hexane
extract was used for lipid determination by gravimetry and
the rest of the extract was defatted with concentrated sulfu-
ric acid. The defatted hexane was successively washed with
water and aqueous potassium hydroxide prior to filtration
through anhydrous sodium sulfate. The filtrate was then
concentrated and cleaned up by chromatography on an
acidic silica gel column and a deacrivated (0.5%) Florisil
column. OC were eluted from the columns using methylene
chloride:hexane (25 : 75, v=v) and analyzed on a HP-5890 gas
chromatograph equipped with dual capillary columns
(Ultra-1 and Ultra-2) and dual 63Ni electron detectors. Detec-
tion limits varied from 0.02 to 0.3 mg=l. All plasma concen-
trations have been transformed on a lipid weight basis
Adipose tissue lipolysis, weight loss and pollutants
P Imbeault et al
1587
(mg=kg) because OC are lipophilic substances that distribute
in body lipids.
Statistical analyses
Pre-treatment gender differences were tested for significance
with the Student’s t-test. A two-way analysis of variance was
performed to verify whether there were significant gender
differences for physical characteristics and OC levels before
and after weight loss. Identification of a significant sextime
interaction led to further analysis of a simple main effect for
sex and post hoc analysis was tested with a paired t-test. A
two-way analysis of variance was also performed to verify
whether significant sex and sites differences for fat cell
weight and basal lipolysis existed in response to treatment.
Finally, univariate associations between variables were quan-
tified using Pearson’s product moment correlation coeffi-
cients. All analyses were performed using Jump software
from SAS Institute Inc. (Cary, NC), adapted for Macintosh
computers.
Results
The physical characteristics of obese men and women are
presented in Table 1. Pre-treatment body weight, fat-free
mass and visceral AT levels were higher in men, whereas
percentage body fat, fat mass, subcutaneous and mid-thigh
fat accumulation as well as subcutaneous abdominal and
femoral fat cell weight levels were higher in women
(P < 0.05). Both genders showed a similar reduction of
body weight, subcutaneous abdominal fat accumulation,
subcutaneous abdominal and femoral fat cell weight in
response to treatment. However, significant sextime inter-
actions were found for percentage body fat, fat mass, visceral
and mid thigh fat accumulation, revealing that men lost
significantly more fat mass, percentage body fat and visceral
AT than women, while women lost significantly more mid-
thigh AT.
As shown in Figure 1, basal lipolysis of subcutaneous
abdominal or femoral adipocytes was not significantly chan-
ged by weight loss in both genders. Similar results were
observed when lipolysis was expressed on a per cell basis
(not shown).
Plasma OC levels were comparable in men and women
before weight loss (Table 2). Except for b-HCH, which
increased in a similar way in response to weight loss in
both genders, significant sextime interactions were found
0
for all other OC investigated. Plasma levels of p,p -DDE,
Aroclor 1260, PCB 153 and PCB 180 were significantly
increased in response to caloric restriction in both genders
(P values ranging from 0.001 to 0.05), this effect being more
pronounced in men. Significant increases in plasma levels of
HCB, PCB 118 and PCB 138 were also observed in men (P
values ranging from 0.001 to 0.05), whereas plasma concen-
trations of these pollutants remained unchanged following
weight reduction in women.
International Journal of Obesity
 Adipose tissue lipolysis, weight loss and pollutants
P Imbeault et al
1588
Table 1 Physical characteristics of men and women before and after weight loss

Men (n ¼ 17) Women (n ¼ 20)

Before After Before After Sex Time Sextime

a
Weight (kg) 105  10 94  9 91  14 82  13 0.01 0.0001 NS
2
BMI (kg=m ) 34  3 30  3 36  4 33  5 NS 0.0001 NS
Body fat (%) 38  5a 30  5{ 48  4 46  5{ 0.0001 0.0001 0.0001
Fat mass (kg) 39  7a 29  5{ 45  9 39  10{ 0.01 0.0001 0.05
Fat-free mass (kg) 66  7a 65  7 46  6 44  5 0.0001 0.0001 NS
2
Adipose tissue areas measured by CT (cm )
Abdomen (L4-L5)
Subcutaneous 402  67a 326  68 551  141 489  150 0.001 0.0001 NS
Visceral 202  60a 132  50{ 149  45 118  37{ 0.05 0.0001 0.01
a { {
Mid-thigh 75  11 60  12 181  39 154  38 0.0001 0.0001 0.05

Regional fat cell weight (mg lipid=cell)

Abdominal 0.60  0.10a 0.52  0.13 0.72  0.13 0.62  0.13 0.01 0.0001 NS
Femoral 0.56  0.09a 0.48  0.11 0.81  0.18 0.64  0.15 0.0001 0.0001 NS

Values are means  s.d.

BMI ¼ body mass index; CT ¼ computed tomography.
a
Significant gender difference in pre-treatment levels.
{ {
Statistical within group difference at: P < 0.01; and P < 0.001.

Before weight loss, no significant correlation was observed

between basal lipolysis of either abdominal or femoral fat
cells and plasma OC levels of both genders (not shown).
Relationships between changes in basal lipolysis of subcuta-
neous abdominal and femoral adipocytes and those in
plasma OC levels in response to weight loss are presented
in Table 3. In men, significant positive relationships were
observed between variations in basal subcutaneous AT lipo-
lysis and those in most pollutants investigated (HCB, Aroclor
1260 and PCBs 118, 138 and 153). Significant positive
correlations were also found between changes in basal lipo-
lysis of femoral adipocytes and those of HCB, Aroclor 1260
and PCBs 118, 138 and 153 in men. In women, only a few
significant positive correlations were observed between
changes in basal lipolysis of both regions and those of
pollutants. It is noteworthy that significant relationships in
both genders remained unchanged after adjustment for
variation in fat mass (0.46 < partial r < 0.75; P values ranging
from 0.01 to 0.05).

Figure 1 Basal lipolysis of subcutaneous abdominal and femoral adipo-
cytes in men and women before and after weight loss. Values are
means  s.e.
Discussion
Results reported in the present study show that changes in
basal lipolysis of subcutaneous abdominal and femoral adi-
pocytes induced by weight loss are related to those in plasma
pollutant levels in men and, to a lesser extent, in women.
Specifically, higher the increase in basal lipolysis of subcuta-
neous abdominal and femoral adipocytes, greater the rise in
plasma OC levels is in response to weight loss.
Because OC are mainly accumulated in fat due to their
lipophilicity,20 it is not surprising to observe an increase in
plasma pollutant levels in response to weight loss. These
results are consistent with a previous study showing a sig-
nificant increase in AT and plasma levels of DDE in eight

International Journal of Obesity

 Adipose tissue lipolysis, weight loss and pollutants
P Imbeault et al
1589
Table 2 Plasma organochlorine levels (mg=kg) of men and women before and after weight loss

Men (n ¼ 17) Women (n ¼ 20)

Before After Before After Sex Time Sextime

0
{
p,p -DDE 423  174 527  229 366  237 405  267* NS 0.0001 0.05
b-HCH 22  19 28  25 16  7 18  9 NS 0.01 NS
HCB 21  6 26  6* 22  11 24  10 NS 0.0001 0.05
Aroclor 1260 515  220 635  236{ 421  200 460  185* NS 0.0001 0.01
PCB 118 16  11 21  13{ 18  8 19  7 NS 0.0001 0.05
{
PCB 138 42  20 51  22 35  16 37  15 NS 0.0001 0.01
{ {
PCB 153 57  22 71  24 47  22 52  21 0.05 0.0001 0.01
{ {
PCB 180 30  7 38  9 24  11 26  10 0.01 0.0001 0.001

Values are means  s.d.

{ {
Statistical within group difference at: *P < 0.05; P < 0.01; and P < 0.001.

Table 3 Relationships between changes (D) in basal lipolysis of and weight gain may be harmful in terms of internal expo-
subcutaneous abdominal and femoral adipocytes and those in plasma sure to toxic substances. Further studies are therefore needed
organochlorine levels of obese men and women in response to weight
loss to address this issue.
The significantly greater increases in plasma OC levels
Men Women after weight loss in men as compared to women could be
D basal lipolysis D basal lipolysis
partly explained by the fact that women lost less body fat
Abdominal Femoral Abdominal Femoral mass than men. As we do not know yet the potential harmful
0
effects of a weight loss-increased plasma OC concentrations
D p,p -DDE 0.10 0.19 0.21 0.66{
on human health, sizeable weight and fat losses will have to
D b-HCH 0.44{ 0.04 0.06 0.17
D HCB 0.56* 0.47{ 70.12 0.19 be balanced against the potential hazards of increased OC
D Aroclor 1260 0.67{ 0.53* 0.32 0.32 levels. On the other hand, one could suggest that obesity per
{ {
D PCB 118 0.70 0.60* 0.48* 0.61 se is a major cause for concern since it is associated with
D PCB 138 0.59* 0.52* 0.34 0.34
{ numerous health complications.24 – 26 Accordingly, strategies
D PCB 153 0.68 0.51* 0.25 0.33
D PCB 180 0.46{ 0.32 0.17 0.50* aiming to reduce body weight are obviously relevant to
improve the metabolic risk profile of obese individuals, but
{ {
Statistical significance at: *P < 0.05; P < 0.01; and P ¼ 0.07. should not necessarily attempt to ‘normalize’ body weight.
In this regard, we have recently shown that a physical
activity – low – fat – diet program resulting in a moderate
morbidly obese subjects examined before and 1 y after an body weight loss and a highly favorable improvement of
intestinal bypass operation which resulted in a mean weight the metabolic profile can be achieved in patients still diag-
loss of 47 kg.8 As recently suggested by our group,9 the nosed as overweight27 without inducing additional signifi-
increased plasma OC concentrations of reduced-obese indi- cant increase of their plasma OC levels.9
viduals raise concern about a potentially harmful side effect The similar basal lipolytic rate, regardless of adipose
of weight loss since several pollutants can act as hormone depots or genders, observed in response to weight loss
disrupters.2,5 The clinical significance of the weight loss- appears in contrast with other studies which have shown
induced plasma pollutants levels observed in the present an increase of in vitro basal lipolysis.28 – 31 As recently
study is, however, as yet unknown. On the one hand, the reported by our group32 the discrepancy observed between
effect could be negligible since reduced-obese subjects of the our results and previous data is probably due to the fact that
present study show several times less body burden than that our subjects were biopsied 4 – 6 weeks after the end of the
reported in Inuit adults,21 a population that does not present treatment while they were weight-stable. Within group var-
any greater level of metabolic disease than the Southern iation in basal lipolysis in response to caloric restriction led
Québec population. On the other hand, other studies have us to demonstrate for the first time that higher the increase
shown that PCB levels within the same range as those of the in basal adipocyte lipolysis, greater the rise in plasma OC
present study can alter human thyroid status,22 a gland well levels was. We also showed that these associations were
known for its role in the regulation of energy expenditure. independent of changes in fat mass loss, thus suggesting
Recently, Walford et al23 showed that plasma levels of DDE that there is a direct correlation between the change in basal
and of ‘total PCB’ load increased with weight loss of two crew lipolytic rate of adipocytes and the release of OC from fat to
members sealed inside Biosphere 2, a closed ecological space plasma in response to weight reduction. These significant
of 7 million cubic feet, and then returned to initial values positive relationships between variations in basal AT lipolysis
when their lost weight was restored. Based on this observa- and those in most pollutants investigated were more fre-
tion, it was suggested that alternating periods of weight loss quently observed in men than in women. The reason for this

International Journal of Obesity

 Adipose tissue lipolysis, weight loss and pollutants
P Imbeault et al
1590
gender difference is, however, unclear. One could suggest
that women’s fat cells size being larger than those of men
after the weight loss program may render OC sequestration
more favorable, dampening their mobilization. A further
study including men and women displaying similar fat cell
weight and subjected to a comparable fat mass loss will be
needed to explore this hypothesis.
In summary, plasma OC levels significantly rose in
response to weight reduction in obese individuals and this
effect was related to the increase in basal lipolysis of sub-
cutaneous abdominal and femoral adipocytes, especially in
men.
Acknowledgements
The authors wish to express their gratitude to Sylvie St-Pierre,
Éric Doucet and Henri Bessette for their collaboration at
various stages of the study and to Dr Gilles Lortie for his
medical supervision. Thanks are also expressed to Suzanne
Brulotte from the Department of Radiology (Laval University
Hospital, Québec, Canada) for her help with the use of the
computed tomograph. The subjects are also gratefully
acknowledged. Supported by Servier Canada and Fonds
FCAR-Québec.
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