Role of Epicardial Adipose Tissue Secretome on Cardiovascular Diseases

Abstract

Obesity and insulin resistance are associated with the inflamed and defective adipose tissue (AT) phenotype, and are established risk factors for cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are a heterogeneous group of cell-derived lipid membrane vesicles involved in the onset and development of many pathologies, including insulin resistance, diabetes, and CVDs. The inflammation associated with overweight and obesity triggers the transition of the AT secretome from healthy to pathological, with a consequent increased expression of pro-inflammatory mediators. Epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) is a specialized fat depot that surrounds the heart, in direct contact with the myocardium. Recently, the role of EAT in regulating the physiopathology of many heart diseases has been increasingly explored. In particular, the EAT phenotype and derived EVs have been associated with the onset and exacerbation of CVDs. In this review, we will focus on the role of the AT secretome in the case of CVDs, and will discuss the beneficial effects of EVs released by AT as promising therapeutic candidates.

Therapeutic Potential of Mesenchymal Stem Cell-Derived Extracellular Vesicles to Treat PCOS

“…The mechanism causing the difference between intraovarian injection and intravenous injection is not clear at this moment. It is known that metabolic aberrations, such as altered glucose levels and insulin resistance, are mainly regulated by adipose and liver tissue, not the ovary [ 53 , 54 , 55 ]. In our previous study, we found that locally injected MSCs did not migrate into other tissue, and the majority of injected cells stayed within injected tissue [ 56 ].…”