Global and local fat effects on bone mass and quality in obesity: insights from lipidomics and 3D imaging assessment

AIMS: The aim of this study was to investigate the global and local impact of fat on bone in obesity by using the diet-induced obese (DIO) mouse model. METHODS: In this study, we generated a diet-induced mouse model of obesity to conduct lipidomic and 3D imaging assessments of bone marrow fat, and evaluated the correlated bone adaptation indices and bone mechanical properties. RESULTS: Our results indicated that bone mass was reduced and bone mechanical properties were impaired in DIO mice. Lipidomic sequencing and bioinformatic analysis identified 373 differential lipids, 176 of which were upregulated and 197 downregulated. Functional enrichment analysis revealed a significant downregulation of the pathways: fat digestion and absorption (ko04975) and lipolysis regulation in adipocytes (ko04923) in DIO mice, leading to local fat accumulation. The use of 3D imaging confirmed the increase in fat accumulation within the bone marrow cavity of obese mice. CONCLUSION: Our study sheds light on the intricate interplay between fat and bone, and provides a non-toxic and non-invasive method for measuring marrow adipose tissue. Cite this article: Bone Joint Res 2023;12(9):580–589.