State of the art paper Biochemistry of adipose tissue: an endocrine organ

Abstract

Adipose tissue is no longer considered to be an inert tissue that stores fat. This tissue is capable of expanding to accommodate increased lipids through hypertrophy of existing adipocytes and by initiating differentiation of pre-adipocytes. Adipose tissue metabolism exerts an impact on whole-body metabolism. As an endocrine organ, adipose tissue is responsible for the synthesis and secretion of several hormones. These are active in a range of processes, such as control of nutritional intake (leptin, angiotensin), control of sensitivity to insulin and inflammatory process mediators (tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), resistin, visfatin, adiponectin, among others) and pathways (plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (PAI-1) and acylation stimulating protein (ASP) for example). This paper reviews some of the biochemical and metabolic aspects of adipose tissue and its relationship to inflammatory disease and insulin resistance.

Genetic Regulation of Adipose Gene Expression and Cardio-Metabolic Traits

“…1,2 The genetic analysis of gene expression by identification of expression quantitative trait loci (eQTLs) in relevant tissues has proven useful to predict candidate genes at GWAS loci and biological pathways that are perturbed in affected individuals. [3][4][5][6] Subcutaneous adipose tissue serves as a buffering system for lipid energy balance, particularly fatty acids, 7,8 and might play a protective role in metabolic and cardiovascular disease risk. 9 Subcutaneous adipose eQTL studies have implicated genes involved in obesity and metabolic traits.…”

Epicardial adipose tissue: at the heart of the obesity complications

“…This has stimulated an enormous research interest in the biology of adipose tissue and in its pathophysiological role in obesity-related complications and therefore gradually transformed adipose tissue from an inert lipid store into a metabolically dynamic endocrine organ capable of synthesizing biologically active compounds that regulate metabolic homeostasis, as well as a variety of biological functions [1][2][3].…”

The Answer to Why Some Are Obese but Healthy?!

“…Additionally, adiponectin also increases insulin sensitivity, fatty acid oxidation and decreases secretion of glucose from liver, increases glucose uptake, and adipogenesis [22,33,36]. Adiponectin also promotes glucose metabolism and accelerates the oxidation of free fatty acids in the muscle [37,38]. In total these are favorable effects of adinopectin to prevent the negative metabolic and cardiovascular effects in obesity.…”

“…TNF-α in obese individual is produced by M1 macrophage from the stromal vascular fraction of adipose tissue [37,47,48]. TNF is high in obesity and has a role in the pathogenesis of IR [49] and metabolic syndrome [50].…”