2.2. Adipose tissue and skin sampling and plasma collection

To avoid sun-exposed areas of skin and to simultaneously obtain abdominal subcutaneous adipose tissue superficial to Scarpa's fascia, elliptical incisional biopsies of adipose tissue and attached skin were acquired from at a point to the right or left of, and 2–5 cm inferior to the navel. Abdominal subcutaneous adipose tissue (0·5–2 g) and attached skin were collected under sterile conditions through a 3–5 cm incision on Study Days 0 and 14. The site for the post-treatment biopsy was contralateral to that for the pre-treatment biopsy, with both the pre- and post-treatment biopsies being from the same dermatome. Skin attached to the adipose tissue biopsy was cut from the underlying adipose tissue. Also on Study Days 0 and 14, blood was collected. Blood samples were stored at −80 °C for subsequent analyses.