Inflammation is thought to play a major role in impaired metabolism. However, the metabolic and inflammatory response of adipose tissue, to a pro-inflammatory stimulus is poorly defined in patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM). We therefore aimed to investigate whether adipose tissue in T2DM would display an altered response to E. coli LipoPolySaccharide (LPS). Twelve patients with T2DM and 12 control subjects received an intravenous bolus injection of LPS (0.3 ng/kg). Abdominal subcutaneous adipose tissue biopsies, serum and plasma were obtained at 0, 2, 4, 6 and 8 hours after LPS. The gene expression of Tumour Necrosis Factor-α (TNF), InterLeukin-6 (IL-6), lipoprotein lipase (LPL), hormone sensitive lipase (HSL), fatty acid synthase (FASN), adiponectin and peroxisome proliferator-activated recptor γ (PPARγ) was analysed by real time reverse transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). The expression of TNF and IL-6 in adipose tissue increased after LPS administration without any difference between groups (2-way ANOVA, effect of time: p<0.001 and p=0.0001, respectively). In contrast, the expression of LPL, HSL and adiponectin in adipose tissue increased only in control subjects (2-way ANOVA, effect of time X group: p=0.03; p=0.02 and p=0.02, respectively). There was no effect of LPS on FASN or PPARγ in either group. Patients with T2DM demonstrate a resistance to LPS in terms of inducing important mediators of lipolysis and lipogenesis, although the expression of TNF and IL-6 in adipose tissue increased in both groups. And thus, adipose tissue may contribute to the acute inflammation-related metabolic complications seen in T2DM.