A new approach to measuring vitamin D in human adipose tissue using time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry: a pilot study

Per Malmberg; Therese Karlsson; Henrik Svensson; Malin Lönn; Nils-Gunnar Carlsson; Ann-Sofie Sandberg; Eva Jennische; Amra Osmancevic; Agneta Holmäng

doi:10.1016/j.jphotobiol.2014.06.008

A new approach to measuring vitamin D in human adipose tissue using time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry: a pilot study

J Photochem Photobiol B. 2014 Sep 5:138:295-301. doi: 10.1016/j.jphotobiol.2014.06.008. Epub 2014 Jun 21.

Authors

Per Malmberg¹, Therese Karlsson², Henrik Svensson³, Malin Lönn³, Nils-Gunnar Carlsson⁴, Ann-Sofie Sandberg⁴, Eva Jennische³, Amra Osmancevic⁵, Agneta Holmäng⁶

Affiliations

¹ Department of Chemical and Biological Enigeneering, Analytical Chemistry, Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, Sweden.
² Department of Physiology, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden. Electronic address: therese.karlsson@k2.uib.no.
³ Department of Clinical Chemistry and Transfusion Medicine, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
⁴ Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Food Science, Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, Sweden.
⁵ Department of Dermatology, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden.
⁶ Department of Physiology, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.

PMID: 25010290
DOI: 10.1016/j.jphotobiol.2014.06.008

Abstract

Circulating concentrations of vitamin D, 25(OH)D, and 1,25(OH)2D are lower in obese than lean individuals, but little is known about the adipose tissue content of these molecules. The aim of this study was to explore the possibility to use time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS) to measure vitamin D and its metabolites in fat tissue in obese and lean subjects. Abdominal subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) biopsies were obtained from three lean and three obese women, and paired biopsies SAT and visceral adipose tissue (VAT) were obtained from three obese subjects during gastric bypass surgery. TOF-SIMS was used to measure vitamin D3, 25(OH)D3, and 1,25(OH)2D3 in adipose tissue. We found that vitamin D3, 25(OH)D3, and 1,25(OH)2D3 in adipose tissue can be measured with TOF-SIMS. In adipose tissue, vitamin D3 and its metabolites were located in adipocyte lipid droplets. The content of vitamin D3 (P=0.006) and 25(OH)D3 (P=0.018) were lower in SAT in obese compared with lean women. TOF-SIMS has the potential to semi-quantitatively measure vitamin D metabolites in adipose tissue, and offers a possibility to compare vitamin D levels in different depots and groups of individuals. It also gives the opportunity to explore the localization of vitamin D metabolites at a cellular level.

Keywords: Adipose tissue; TOF-SIMS; Vitamin D.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adipose Tissue / metabolism*
Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid
Female
Humans
Male
Obesity / metabolism
Obesity / pathology
Pilot Projects
Principal Component Analysis
Spectrometry, Mass, Secondary Ion*
Vitamin D / analogs & derivatives
Vitamin D / analysis*
Vitamin D / blood

Substances

Vitamin D