Reduced skeletal muscle oxidative capacity and elevated ceramide but not diacylglycerol content in severe obesity.

Objective: The link between a reduced capacity for skeletal muscle mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation (FAO) and lipotoxicity in human insulin resistance has been the subject of intense debate. The objective of this study was to investigate whether reduced FAO is associated with elevated acyl CoA, ceramide, and diacylglycerol (DAG) in severely obese insulin resistant subjects.

Methods: Muscle biopsies were conducted in lean (L, 22.