Establishment of the 2H-labeling Protocol at Pennington Biomedical Research Center

A method has been developed to measure in vivo adipose kinetics and turnover rates, which is a substantive departure from previous indirect and in vitro approaches. This technique involves drinking deuterium (2H)-labeled water, with an initial ramp-up to increase body water 2H enrichment, followed by daily intake to maintain enrichment values. The 2H from the heavy water is incorporated into the DNA of the dividing cells, as well as the lipid component, providing measures of cell formation, lipid synthesis, and adipose turnover. The objective of the proposed study is to enroll women who are overweight (sedentary or physically active) in order to collect 2H-enriched adipose tissue specimens that will be utilized to establish this innovative 2H-labeling protocol at Pennington Biomedical Research Center. This study will also assess adipose kinetics in individuals with different levels of physical activity to better understand the association between in vivo adipose cell kinetics, physical activity, and metabolic health in humans.