Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, Edificio Severo-Ochoa, Pl. 3, Campus Univ. de Rabanales, University of Cordoba, E-14014 Cordoba, Spain.
Curr Vasc Pharmacol. 2013 Nov;11(6):954-67. doi: 10.2174/15701611113116660170.
Obesity is dramatically increasing virtually worldwide, which has been linked to the rising prevalence of metabolic syndrome. Excess fat accumulation causes severe alterations in adipose tissue function. Actually, adipose tissue is now recognized as a major endocrine and secretory organ that releases a wide variety of signaling molecules (hormones, growth factors, cytokines, chemokines, etc.), the adipokines, which play central roles in the regulation of energy metabolism and homeostasis, immunity and inflammation. In addition, adipose tissue is no longer regarded as a passive lipid storage site but as a highly dynamic energy depot which stores excess energy during periods of positive energy balance and mobilizes it in periods of nutrient deficiency in a tightly regulated manner. Altered lipid release and adipokine production and signaling, as occurs in obesity, are linked to insulin resistance and the associated comorbidities of metabolic syndrome (dyslipidemia, hypertension), which confer an increased risk for the development of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Here we summarize current knowledge on adipose tissue and review the contribution of novel techniques and experimental approaches in adipobiology to the identification of novel biomarkers and potential targets for dietary or pharmacological intervention to prevent and treat adipose tissue-associated diseases.
肥胖症在全球范围内急剧增加，这与代谢综合征的患病率上升有关。脂肪积累过多会导致脂肪组织功能严重改变。事实上，脂肪组织现在被认为是一个主要的内分泌和分泌器官，它释放出各种各样的信号分子（激素、生长因子、细胞因子、趋化因子等），即脂肪因子，它们在调节能量代谢和体内平衡、免疫和炎症中起着核心作用。此外，脂肪组织不再被视为被动的脂质储存场所，而是一个高度动态的能量储存库，在能量正平衡期间储存多余的能量，并在营养缺乏期间以严格调节的方式动员它。如肥胖症中发生的脂质释放和脂肪因子产生和信号转导的改变与胰岛素抵抗和代谢综合征的相关合并症（血脂异常、高血压）有关，这增加了患 2 型糖尿病和心血管疾病的风险。在这里，我们总结了目前关于脂肪组织的知识，并回顾了新的技术和实验方法在脂肪生物学中的贡献，以确定新的生物标志物和潜在的饮食或药物干预靶点，以预防和治疗与脂肪组织相关的疾病。
