Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39948771›Full record

ArticleObesity (Silver Spring, Md.)2025

Metabolically unhealthy adipose tissue is characterized by reductions in mitochondrial size and function.

Darla DeStephanis, Masha R Long, Abigail G Williams, McKinley Santiago, Jack Tonkin, Christina M Stevens, Matthew A Davis, Alistaire D Ruggiero, Darren C Henstridge, Dino Premilovac and 1 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Obesity (Silver Spring, Md.), 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Darla DeStephanisDepartment of Pathology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA.
Masha R LongDepartment of Pathology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA.
Abigail G WilliamsDepartment of Pathology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA.
McKinley SantiagoDepartment of Pathology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA.
Jack TonkinDepartment of Pathology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA.
Christina M StevensDepartment of Pathology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0005-9771-9007
Matthew A DavisDepartment of Internal Medicine, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA.
Alistaire D RuggieroDepartment of Pathology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA.
Darren C HenstridgeCollege of Health and Medicine, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia.
Dino PremilovacCollege of Health and Medicine, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia.
Kylie KavanaghDepartment of Pathology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8772-6186

Funding

Wake Forest Clinical and Translational Science AwardUL1TR001420 · NCATS · WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES · PI ARD, JAMY D, FOLEY, KRISTIE L · 2015 to 2023
$32.3M
Vervet Research Colony as a Biomedical ResourceP40OD010965 · OD · WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES · PI Matthew Jorgensen · 2012 to 2026
$14.6M
TRAINING PROGRAM IN IMMUNOLOGY AND PATHOGENESIST32AI007401 · NIAID · WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES · PI Martha Ann Alexander-Miller · 1991 to 2026
$4.4M
Adipose Mitochondial Quality Control and Cardiovascular Function in Metabolically Healthy and Unhealthy Obese MonkeysR01HL142930 · NHLBI · WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES · PI KAVANAGH, KYLIE · 2019 to 2023
$3.4M
Australian Government Research Training ProgramNCATS NIH HHS UL1 TR001420NCATS NIH HHS UL1TR001420NHLBI NIH HHS R01 HL142930NHLBI NIH HHS R01HL142930NIAID NIH HHS T32 AI007401NIH HHS P40 OD010965ORIP NIH HHS P40OD010965
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveAdipose function, not mass, underpins metabolic health. Lean and obese nonhuman primates (NHPs) naturally develop metabolic syndrome. Mitochondria-related measures in subcutaneous adipose tissue (SQ AT) and peripheral blood mononuclear cells may elucidate differences that transcend adiposity measures.

methodsObesity statuses ranged from very lean to severely obese (<9%->50%, n = 44), which were equivalent in healthy or unhealthy NHPs (metabolic syndrome score difference, p < 0.001). We evaluated SQ AT histology, electron microscopy, tissue proteins, and bioenergetics.

resultsUnhealthy adipocytes had mitochondria one-half the size of healthy adipocytes (p < 0.01), whereas adipocyte cell sizes were comparable. Consistent with small mitochondria, we saw deficiencies in mitochondrial fusion and quality-control proteins in SQ AT from unhealthy NHPs (all p < 0.05). Smaller mitochondria in unhealthy adipocytes were consistent with low SQ AT tissue respiration (p < 0.05). Mitochondrial size was specifically reduced with unhealthiness, as mitochondrial abundance, size, and related metrics were unrelated to adiposity. Isolated stromal vascular cells showed comparable respirometry profiles, substantiating specificity of adipocyte-related mitochondrial defects. Peripheral blood mononuclear cell bioenergetic indices were increased in unhealthy NHPs, indicative of immune cell activation, and correlated to SQ AT inflammatory cytokines.

conclusionsWe conclude that targeting mitochondrial fusion processes would be a rational strategy to improve metabolic health, independent of total fat mass.

Indexed as

AdipocytesMetabolic SyndromeMitochondriaMitochondrial SizeObesitySubcutaneous FatAnimalsEnergy MetabolismFemaleLeukocytes, MononuclearMacaca mulattaMaleMitochondrial Dynamics

Identifiers

PMID39948771
PMCPMC11897863

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.