Ferris W F, Crowther N J
Division of Endocrinology, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Stellenbosch, Stellenbosch, South Africa.
Cardiovasc J Afr. 2011 May-Jun;22(3):147-54. doi: 10.5830/cvja-2010-083.
Past civilisations saw excess body fat as a symbol of wealth and prosperity as the general population struggled with food shortages and famine. Nowadays it is recognised that obesity is associated with co-morbidities such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Our views on the roll of adipose tissue have also changed, from being solely a passive energy store, to an important endocrine organ that modulates metabolism, immunity and satiety. The relationship between increased visceral adiposity and obesity-related co-morbidities has lead to the recognition that variation in fat distribution contributes to ethnic differences in the prevalence of obesity-related diseases. Our current negative view of adipose tissue may change with the use of pluripotent adipose-derived stromal cells, which may lead to future autologous stem cell therapies for bone, muscle, cardiac and cartilage disorders. Here, we briefly review the concepts that adipose tissue is an endocrine organ, that differences in body fat distribution underline the aetiology of obesity-related co-morbidities, and the use of adipose-derived stem cells for future therapies.
在过去的文明中，由于普通民众面临食物短缺和饥荒，过多的体脂被视为财富和繁荣的象征。如今，人们认识到肥胖与心血管疾病和糖尿病等合并症有关。我们对脂肪组织作用的看法也发生了变化，从仅仅是一个被动的能量储存库，转变为一个调节新陈代谢、免疫和饱腹感的重要内分泌器官。内脏脂肪增多与肥胖相关合并症之间的关系已使人们认识到，脂肪分布的差异导致了肥胖相关疾病患病率的种族差异。随着多能脂肪来源的基质细胞的应用，我们目前对脂肪组织的负面看法可能会改变，这可能会带来未来针对骨骼、肌肉、心脏和软骨疾病的自体干细胞疗法。在此，我们简要回顾以下概念：脂肪组织是一个内分泌器官；体脂分布的差异是肥胖相关合并症病因的基础；以及脂肪来源干细胞在未来治疗中的应用。
