Adipose biopsy techniques for studies in human exercise physiology

Adipose biopsy techniques are relatively undefined for exercise physiology research in individuals at or near normal weight. The purpose of this study was to compare the influence of two adipose biopsy techniques on tissue quality through measurements of adipocyte cell size, as well as mRNA and protein levels of select pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines and adipokines. Thirteen participants (9 M, 4 W; 28 +/- 4 yr; 27 +/- 3 kgm(-2); Vo(2max): 3.3 +/- 0.7 Lmin(-1)) underwent subcutaneous adipose biopsies on either side of the umbilicus (incision: similar to 8 cm lateral, sampling area: similar to 5 cm lateral) using 1) a 6-mm Bergstr & ouml;m biopsy needle and 2) a mini-liposuction approach with a 4-mm Mercedes biopsy needle that used prebiopsy tumescent delivery (similar to 30 mL 0.9% NaCl solution) into the sampling area (i.e., 'wet' technique). Tissue obtained was processed identically for analysis and both techniques returned high-quality tissue for histology (similar % intact adipocytes), mRNA (RNA integrity numbers >7.0), and protein. Adipocyte size was similar (P > 0.05) between both techniques (Bergstr & ouml;m: 6,116 +/- 1,652 mu m(2), 554-23,522 mu m(2); Mercedes: 6,517 +/- 952 mu m(2), 926-21,969 mu m(2)). There were also no differences (P > 0.05) between the two techniques for the measured cytokines (pro- and anti-inflammatory) and adipokines at the mRNA and protein levels. Adipocyte size was positively correlated with body mass index and body fat percentage, and negatively correlated with Vo(2max) (P < 0.05). These results suggest both adipose biopsy techniques used in the current investigation are appropriate for histological, transcriptional, and translational level measurements in exercise physiology studies of nonobese women and men.