Epicardial adipose tissue and its role in cardiac physiology and disease

Abstract

Adipose tissue secretes a number of cytokines, referred to as adipokines. Intensive studies conducted over the last two decades showed that adipokines exert broad effects on cardiac metabolism and function. In addition, the available data strongly suggests that these cytokines play an important role in development of cardiovascular diseases. Epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) has special properties that distinguish it from other deposits of visceral fat. Overall, there appears to be a close functional and anatomic relationship between the EAT and the cardiac muscle. They share the same coronary blood supply, and there is no structure separating the adipose tissue from the myocardium or coronary arteries. The role of EAT in osierdziocardiac physiology remains unclear. Its putative functions include buffering coronary arteries against the torsion induced by the arterial pulse wave and cardiac contraction, regulating fatty acid homeostasis in the coronary microcirculation, thermogenesis, and neuroprotection of the cardiac autonomic ganglia and nerves. Obesity (particularly the abdominal phenotype) leads to elevated EAT content, and the available data suggests that high amount of this fat depot is associated with increased risk of ischemic heart disease, cardiac hypertrophy and diastolic dysfunction. The mass of EAT is small compared to other fat deposits in the body. Nevertheless, its close anatomic relationship to the heart suggests that this organ is highly exposed to EAT-derived adipokines which makes this tissue a very promising area of research. In this paper we review the current knowledge on the role of EAT in cardiac physiology and development of heart disease.

Epicardial adipose tissue is a predictor of ascending aortic dilatation in hypertensive patients, but not paracardial adipose tissue

“…First, EAT has a paracrine and systemic endocrine role. It can secrete several active molecules, such as tumour necrosis factor, resistin, adiponectin and IL-6 [28,29]. Second, EAT is one of the parts of the visceral adipose tissue, and, therefore, it is associated with CAD, cardiovascular risk factors, hypertension and metabolic syndrome [30][31][32].…”

Assosiation of Epicardial and Pericardial Fat Thickness with Coronary Artery Disease

“…Second, from another point of view, it is paracrine and endocrine role intended for Epicardial Fat Thickness. Thus, the epicardial fat can secrete several biologically active molecules such as adiponectin, resistin and other inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin IL-6,1b and tumor necrosis factor ( 4 , 19 ). It should be noted that even inflammatory cytokines that have a foreign origin of the coronary arteries, can cause changes in the intimal lining and provide grounds for the atherosclerosis ( 4 , 20 , 21 ).…”

Transcriptome and Molecular Endocrinology Aspects of Epicardial Adipose Tissue in Cardiovascular Diseases: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies

“…Emerging early detection biomarkers or nontraditional risk factors may have a potential role in providing new approaches to develop therapeutic targets for CAD and related risk factors. Epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) is an index of cardiac visceral adiposity and displays high metabolic activity [ 67 ]. EAT is known to secrete various bioactive proteins that contribute to local function of coronary vessels and the myocardium and/or have systemic endocrine effects on vascular tissue [ 68 ].…”