Volume 18, Issue 9 p. 882-891
ORIGINAL ARTICLE

Exenatide decreases liver fat content and epicardial adipose tissue in patients with obesity and type 2 diabetes: a prospective randomized clinical trial using magnetic resonance imaging and spectroscopy

A. Dutour

A. Dutour

Inserm U1062, Inra U1260, Faculté de Médecine, 13385 Marseille, France

Aix Marseille Université, Marseille, France

Department of Endocrinology, Metabolic Diseases and Nutrition, Pole Endo, Marseille, France

These authors contributed equally to the work.Search for more papers by this author
I. Abdesselam

I. Abdesselam

Inserm U1062, Inra U1260, Faculté de Médecine, 13385 Marseille, France

Aix Marseille Université, Marseille, France

Centre de Résonance Magnétique Biologique et Médicale, CNRS UMR 7339, Marseille, France

These authors contributed equally to the work.Search for more papers by this author
P. Ancel

P. Ancel

Inserm U1062, Inra U1260, Faculté de Médecine, 13385 Marseille, France

Aix Marseille Université, Marseille, France

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F. Kober

F. Kober

Aix Marseille Université, Marseille, France

Centre de Résonance Magnétique Biologique et Médicale, CNRS UMR 7339, Marseille, France

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G. Mrad

G. Mrad

Inserm U1062, Inra U1260, Faculté de Médecine, 13385 Marseille, France

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P. Darmon

P. Darmon

Inserm U1062, Inra U1260, Faculté de Médecine, 13385 Marseille, France

Aix Marseille Université, Marseille, France

Department of Endocrinology, Metabolic Diseases and Nutrition, Pole Endo, Marseille, France

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O. Ronsin

O. Ronsin

Department of Endocrinology, Metabolic Diseases and Nutrition, Pole Endo, Marseille, France

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V. Pradel

V. Pradel

Aix Marseille Université, Marseille, France

Statistics Department, Assistance Publique Hôpitaux Marseille, CHU Sainte Marguerite, Marseille, France

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N. Lesavre

N. Lesavre

Aix Marseille Université, Marseille, France

Centre d'investigation Clinique, 1409, Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Marseille, CHU Nord, Marseille, France

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J. C. Martin

J. C. Martin

Inserm U1062, Inra U1260, Faculté de Médecine, 13385 Marseille, France

Aix Marseille Université, Marseille, France

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A. Jacquier

A. Jacquier

Aix Marseille Université, Marseille, France

Centre de Résonance Magnétique Biologique et Médicale, CNRS UMR 7339, Marseille, France

Radiology Department, CHU La Timone, Marseille, France

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Y. Lefur

Y. Lefur

Aix Marseille Université, Marseille, France

Centre de Résonance Magnétique Biologique et Médicale, CNRS UMR 7339, Marseille, France

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M. Bernard

M. Bernard

Aix Marseille Université, Marseille, France

Centre de Résonance Magnétique Biologique et Médicale, CNRS UMR 7339, Marseille, France

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B. Gaborit

Corresponding Author

B. Gaborit

Inserm U1062, Inra U1260, Faculté de Médecine, 13385 Marseille, France

Aix Marseille Université, Marseille, France

Department of Endocrinology, Metabolic Diseases and Nutrition, Pole Endo, Marseille, France

Correspondence to: Bénédicte Gaborit, Inserm U1062, Inra U1260, Aix Marseille Université, Faculté de Médecine, 27 boulevard Jean Moulin, 13385 Marseille cedex 05, France.

E-mail: benedicte.gaborit@ap-hm.fr

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First published: 23 April 2016
Citations: 167

Abstract

Aim

To conduct a prospective randomized trial to investigate the effect of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) analogues on ectopic fat stores.

Methods

A total of 44 obese subjects with type 2 diabetes uncontrolled on oral antidiabetic drugs were randomly assigned to receive exenatide or reference treatment according to French guidelines. Epicardial adipose tissue (EAT), myocardial triglyceride content (MTGC), hepatic triglyceride content (HTGC) and pancreatic triglyceride content (PTGC) were assessed 45 min after a standardized meal with 3T magnetic resonance imaging and proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy before and after 26 weeks of treatment.

Results

The study population had a mean glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) level of 7.5 ± 0.2% and a mean body mass index of 36.1 ± 1.1 kg/m2. Ninety five percent had hepatic steatosis at baseline (HTGC ≥ 5.6%). Exenatide and reference treatment led to a similar improvement in HbA1c (−0.7 ± 0.3% vs. −0.7 ± 0.4%; p = 0.29), whereas significant weight loss was observed only in the exenatide group (−5.5 ± 1.2 kg vs. −0.2 ± 0.8 kg; p = 0.001 for the difference between groups). Exenatide induced a significant reduction in EAT (−8.8 ± 2.1%) and HTGC (−23.8 ± 9.5%), compared with the reference treatment (EAT: −1.2 ± 1.6%, p = 0.003; HTGC: +12.5 ± 9.6%, p = 0.007). No significant difference was observed in other ectopic fat stores, PTGC or MTGC. In the group treated with exenatide, reductions in liver fat and EAT were not associated with homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance index, adiponectin, HbA1c or fructosamin change, but were significantly related to weight loss (r = 0.47, p = 0.03, and r = 0.50, p = 0.018, respectively).

Conclusion

Our data indicate that exenatide is an effective treatment to reduce liver fat content and epicardial fat in obese patients with type 2 diabetes, and these effects are mainly weight loss dependent.