Expression Patterns and Correlations with Metabolic Markers of Zinc Transporters and in Obesity and Polycystic Ovary Syndrome.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is associated with infertility, increased androgen levels, and insulin resistance. In adipose tissue, zinc facilitates insulin signaling. Circulating zinc levels are altered in obesity, diabetes, and PCOS; and zinc supplementation can ameliorate metabolic disturbances in PCOS. In adipose tissue, expression of zinc influx transporter varies with body mass index (BMI), clinical markers of metabolic syndrome, and (). In this study, we investigated expression levels of and in subcutaneous adipose tissue of 36 PCOS women (17 lean and 19 obese women) compared with 23 healthy controls (7 lean and 16 obese women). Further, expression levels of zinc transporter , a recently identified androgen receptor, and zinc efflux transporter were investigated, alongside lipid profile and markers of glucose metabolism [insulin degrading enzyme, retinol-binding protein 4 (), and glucose transporter 4 ()]. We find that expression is reduced in obesity and positively correlates with expression, which is downregulated with increasing BMI. is upregulated in obesity, and both and expression significantly correlates with clinical markers of altered glucose metabolism. In addition, and associate with obesity, but an association with PCOS as such was present only for and . and does not relate to clinical androgen status and is unaffected by all parameters investigated. In conclusion, our findings support the existence of a zinc dyshomeostasis in adipose tissue in metabolic disturbances including PCOS-related obesity.