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Vasoactive intestinal peptide regulates fat tissue blood flow and may explain metabolic risk differences

RPEP-136572025Sotorník, Richard; Ménard, Julie; Brassard, Pascal; Gagnon-Auger, Maude; Baillargeon, Jean-Patrice; Ardilouze, Jean-Luc
evidence
The takeaway

VIP potently increases adipose tissue blood flow dose-dependently in healthy humans, with blunted ATBF responders to glucose showing a non-significant trend toward lower VIP response, linking this gut peptide to cardiometabolic risk.

3x ATBF increase with VIP

Vasoactive intestinal peptide tripled adipose tissue blood flow, with metabolically at-risk non-responders showing a trend toward impaired VIP response

What the researchers found

VIP microinfusion dose-dependently increased ATBF: 2.67→4.35→7.91 mL/100g/min (p<0.0001). 7/16 were non-responders to glucose ATBF. Non-responders: trend toward lower VIP response (NS). Oral glucose: no change in plasma VIP.

Why it matters

Poor adipose tissue blood flow after eating is linked to metabolic syndrome. If VIP signaling is impaired in non-responders, it could explain why some people develop cardiometabolic risk factors despite normal weight and diet.

How the study worked

16 healthy participants. 75g oral glucose tolerance test with plasma VIP and ATBF (133-Xenon washout). 12 participants: local VIP microinfusion at 3 doses.

What this study cannot tell us

Very small study (n=16). Non-responder comparison non-significant. Local VIP infusion may not reflect physiological concentrations. Single measurement point.

How to read the evidence

Small human physiological study. Good mechanistic data but very small sample limits conclusions.

When this study was published

Published in 2025.

The bigger picture

VIP adds to the list of gut peptides (alongside GLP-1, GIP, PYY) that regulate metabolic health through tissue perfusion. Understanding why some people's fat tissue responds poorly to these signals could unlock new approaches to metabolic disease prevention.

Questions still open

  • Is VIP resistance a driver of metabolic syndrome?
  • Could VIP agonists improve adipose tissue perfusion in at-risk individuals?
  • Does VIP interact with GLP-1 signaling in fat tissue?

Common questions

What is VIP and why does it matter for metabolism?
Vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) is a gut neurotransmitter that dilates blood vessels. This study found it powerfully increases blood flow to fat tissue, which is important for clearing dietary fats from the bloodstream after eating. Poor fat tissue blood flow is linked to higher cardiovascular risk.
Why do some people have poor fat tissue blood flow?
About one-third of healthy people do not increase fat tissue blood flow after eating (non-responders), which leads to prolonged high blood fat levels and metabolic risk. This study suggests impaired VIP signaling in fat tissue may be partly responsible.

Read the original research

Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide: Another Player in Adipose Tissue Blood Flow Regulation?

Microcirculation (New York, N.Y. : 1994), 32(7), e70026

View on PubMed ↗Publisher’s paper ↗

Citation

Sotorník, Richard; Ménard, Julie; Brassard, Pascal; Gagnon-Auger, Maude; Baillargeon, Jean-Patrice; Ardilouze, Jean-Luc. (2025). Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide: Another Player in Adipose Tissue Blood Flow Regulation?. Microcirculation (New York, N.Y. : 1994), 32(7), e70026. https://doi.org/10.1111/micc.70026