Specific Hepatic Sphingolipids Relate to Insulin Resistance, Oxidative Stress, and Inflammation in Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis.

Objective: Insulin resistance and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease have been linked to several lipid metabolites in animals, but their role in humans remains unclear. This study examined the relationship of sphingolipids with hepatic and peripheral metabolism in 21 insulin-resistant obese patients without (NAFL-) or with (NAFL+) nonalcoholic fatty liver and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and 7 healthy lean individuals undergoing tissue biopsies during bariatric or elective abdominal surgery.

Research Design And Methods: Hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamps with d-[6,6-H]glucose were performed to quantify tissue-specific insulin sensitivity.