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Molecules and Cells Oct 2022The past two decades have witnessed an upsurge in the appreciation of adipose tissue (AT) as an immuno-metabolic hub harbouring heterogeneous cell populations that... (Review)
Review
The past two decades have witnessed an upsurge in the appreciation of adipose tissue (AT) as an immuno-metabolic hub harbouring heterogeneous cell populations that collectively fine-tune systemic metabolic homeostasis. Technological advancements, especially single-cell transcriptomics, have offered an unprecedented opportunity for dissecting the sophisticated cellular networks and compositional dynamics underpinning AT remodelling. The "re-discovery" of functional brown adipose tissue dissipating heat energy in human adults has aroused tremendous interest in exploiting the mechanisms underpinning the engagement of AT thermogenesis for combating human obesity. In this review, we aim to summarise and evaluate the use of single-cell transcriptomics that contribute to a better appreciation of the cellular plasticity and intercellular crosstalk in thermogenic AT.
Topics: Adult; Humans; Adipose Tissue; Adipose Tissue, Brown; Energy Metabolism; Homeostasis; Obesity; Thermogenesis
PubMed: 36254709
DOI: 10.14348/molcells.2022.0092 -
Frontiers in Endocrinology 2022Obesity and its' associated metabolic diseases such as type 2 diabetes and cardiometabolic disorders are significant health problems confronting many countries. A major... (Review)
Review
Obesity and its' associated metabolic diseases such as type 2 diabetes and cardiometabolic disorders are significant health problems confronting many countries. A major driver for developing obesity and metabolic dysfunction is the uncontrolled expansion of white adipose tissue (WAT). Specifically, the pathophysiological expansion of visceral WAT is often associated with metabolic dysfunction due to changes in adipokine secretion profiles, reduced vascularization, increased fibrosis, and enrichment of pro-inflammatory immune cells. A critical determinate of body fat distribution and WAT health is the sex steroid estrogen. The bioavailability of estrogen appears to favor metabolically healthy subcutaneous fat over visceral fat growth while protecting against changes in metabolic dysfunction. Our review will focus on the role of estrogen on body fat partitioning, WAT homeostasis, adipogenesis, adipocyte progenitor cell (APC) function, and thermogenesis to control WAT health and systemic metabolism.
Topics: Adipose Tissue; Adipose Tissue, White; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2; Estrogens; Humans; Obesity
PubMed: 35721736
DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2022.889923 -
Nutrients Nov 2023Adipose tissue encompasses various types, including White Adipose Tissue (WAT), Brown Adipose Tissue (BAT), and beige adipose tissue, each having distinct roles in... (Review)
Review
Adipose tissue encompasses various types, including White Adipose Tissue (WAT), Brown Adipose Tissue (BAT), and beige adipose tissue, each having distinct roles in energy storage and thermogenesis. Vitamin D (VD), a fat-soluble vitamin, maintains a complex interplay with adipose tissue, exerting significant effects through its receptor (VDR) on the normal development and functioning of adipocytes. The VDR and associated metabolic enzymes are widely expressed in the adipocytes of both rodents and humans, and they partake in the regulation of fat metabolism and functionality through various pathways. These encompass adipocyte differentiation, adipogenesis, inflammatory responses, and adipokine synthesis and secretion. This review primarily appraises the role and mechanisms of VD in different adipocyte differentiation, lipid formation, and inflammatory responses, concentrating on the pivotal role of the VD/VDR pathway in adipogenesis. This insight furnishes new perspectives for the development of micronutrient-related intervention strategies in the prevention and treatment of obesity.
Topics: Humans; Vitamin D; Adipogenesis; Adipose Tissue; Adipose Tissue, Brown; Adipose Tissue, White; Obesity; Vitamins; Thermogenesis
PubMed: 38004226
DOI: 10.3390/nu15224832 -
American Journal of Physiology.... Apr 2020The intestinal commensal microbiome is an important component of host health, in part by contributing an abundance of metabolites that gain access to the systemic... (Review)
Review
The intestinal commensal microbiome is an important component of host health, in part by contributing an abundance of metabolites that gain access to the systemic circulation. The microbiome thereby influences the physiology of numerous organ systems outside the gastrointestinal tract. The consequences of this signaling axis between the intestinal microbiome and host are profound, in particular for the modulation of organismal metabolism. Here, we review recent examples whereby the intestinal microbiome influences host metabolism by influencing the biology of adipose tissue. We place a special emphasis on metabolite-driven pathways by which adipose tissue responds to alterations in intestinal microbial colonization. Given its accessibility for therapeutic interventions, the gut microbiome is an attractive relay module for the remote control of systemic metabolism.
Topics: Adipose Tissue; Energy Metabolism; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Humans
PubMed: 32068441
DOI: 10.1152/ajpgi.00304.2019 -
The Biochemical Journal Jul 2020Adipose tissue is a central regulator of metabolism and an important pharmacological target to treat the metabolic consequences of obesity, such as insulin resistance... (Review)
Review
Adipose tissue is a central regulator of metabolism and an important pharmacological target to treat the metabolic consequences of obesity, such as insulin resistance and dyslipidemia. Among the various cellular compartments, the adipocyte cell surface is especially appealing as a drug target as it contains various proteins that when activated or inhibited promote adipocyte health, change its endocrine function and eventually maintain or restore whole-body insulin sensitivity. In addition, cell surface proteins are readily accessible by various drug classes. However, targeting individual cell surface proteins in adipocytes has been difficult due to important functions of these proteins outside adipose tissue, raising various safety concerns. Thus, one of the biggest challenges is the lack of adipose selective surface proteins and/or targeting reagents. Here, we discuss several receptor families with an important function in adipogenesis and mature adipocytes to highlight the complexity at the cell surface and illustrate the problems with identifying adipose selective proteins. We then discuss that, while no unique adipocyte surface protein might exist, how splicing, posttranslational modifications as well as protein/protein interactions can create enormous diversity at the cell surface that vastly expands the space of potentially unique epitopes and how these selective epitopes can be identified and targeted.
Topics: Adipocytes; Adipogenesis; Adipose Tissue; Adipose Tissue, Brown; Adipose Tissue, White; Animals; Epitopes; Humans; Insulin Resistance
PubMed: 32648930
DOI: 10.1042/BCJ20190462 -
Frontiers in Endocrinology 2021Obesity is a major public health concern at the origin of many pathologies, including cancers. Among them, the incidence of gastro-intestinal tract cancers is... (Review)
Review
Obesity is a major public health concern at the origin of many pathologies, including cancers. Among them, the incidence of gastro-intestinal tract cancers is significantly increased, as well as the one of hormone-dependent cancers. The metabolic changes caused by overweight mainly with the development of adipose tissue (AT), insulin resistance and chronic inflammation induce hormonal and/or growth factor imbalances, which impact cell proliferation and differentiation. AT is now considered as the main internal source of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) representing a low level systemic chronic exposure. Some EDCs are non-metabolizable and can accumulate in AT for a long time. We are chronically exposed to low doses of EDCs able to interfere with the endocrine metabolism of the body. Importantly, several EDCs have been involved in the genesis of obesity affecting profoundly the physiology of AT. In parallel, EDCs have been implicated in the development of cancers, in particular hormone-dependent cancers (prostate, testis, breast, endometrium, thyroid). While it is now well established that AT secretes adipocytokines that promote tumor progression, it is less clear whether they can initiate cancer. Therefore, it is important to better understand the effects of EDCs, and to investigate the buffering effect of AT in the context of progression but also initiation of cancer cells using adequate models recommended to uncover and validate these mechanisms for humans. We will review and argument here the potential role of AT as a crosstalk between EDCs and hormone-dependent cancer development, and how to assess it.
Topics: Adipose Tissue; Animals; Endocrine Disruptors; Environmental Pollutants; Humans; Models, Biological; Neoplasms
PubMed: 34354670
DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2021.691658 -
Medicine Dec 2022Interpretation of the morphology and characteristics of soft tissues, such as paravertebral muscles and fat, has always been a "relative blind spot" in the spine. The... (Review)
Review
Interpretation of the morphology and characteristics of soft tissues, such as paravertebral muscles and fat, has always been a "relative blind spot" in the spine. The imaging features of the non-bony structures of the spine have been studied and reinterpreted, and changes in the non-bony structure are associated with spinal disease. Soft tissue parameters such as, the "paraspinal muscle cross-sectional area," "subcutaneous fat thickness," and the "paraspinal muscle fat infiltration rate" on computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging and other imaging techniques are reproducible in the diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of spinal disorders and have the potential for clinical application. In addition, focus on the association between sarcopenia and spinal epidural lipomatosis with spinal disorders is increasing. Currently, there is no summary of studies on fat and muscle in the spinal region. Given this, within the context of recent research trends, this article provides a synthesis of research on adipose and muscle tissue in the spine, discusses advances in the study of the imaging manifestations of these structures in spinal disorders, and expands the perspectives.
Topics: Humans; Lumbar Vertebrae; Spinal Diseases; Sarcopenia; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Muscles; Adipose Tissue; Paraspinal Muscles
PubMed: 36626484
DOI: 10.1097/MD.0000000000032051 -
Clinical Science (London, England :... Nov 2019Adipose tissue is classically recognized as the primary site of lipid storage, but in recent years has garnered appreciation for its broad role as an endocrine organ... (Review)
Review
Adipose tissue is classically recognized as the primary site of lipid storage, but in recent years has garnered appreciation for its broad role as an endocrine organ comprising multiple cell types whose collective secretome, termed as adipokines, is highly interdependent on metabolic homeostasis and inflammatory state. Anatomical location (e.g. visceral, subcutaneous, epicardial etc) and cellular composition of adipose tissue (e.g. white, beige, and brown adipocytes, macrophages etc.) also plays a critical role in determining its response to metabolic state, the resulting secretome, and its potential impact on remote tissues. Compared with other tissues, the heart has an extremely high and constant demand for energy generation, of which most is derived from oxidation of fatty acids. Availability of this fatty acid fuel source is dependent on adipose tissue, but evidence is mounting that adipose tissue plays a much broader role in cardiovascular physiology. In this review, we discuss the impact of the brown, subcutaneous, and visceral white, perivascular (PVAT), and epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) secretome on the development and progression of cardiovascular disease (CVD), with a particular focus on cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis.
Topics: Adipose Tissue; Animals; Cardiomegaly; Fibrosis; Humans
PubMed: 31777927
DOI: 10.1042/CS20190578 -
American Journal of Physiology. Heart... Feb 2022Obesity is associated with higher risks of cardiac arrhythmias. Although this may be partly explained by concurrent cardiometabolic ill-health, growing evidence suggests... (Review)
Review
Obesity is associated with higher risks of cardiac arrhythmias. Although this may be partly explained by concurrent cardiometabolic ill-health, growing evidence suggests that increasing adiposity independently confers risk for arrhythmias. Among fat depots, epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) exhibits a proinflammatory secretome and, given the lack of fascial separation, has been implicated as a transducer of inflammation to the underlying myocardium. The present review explores the mechanisms underpinning adverse electrophysiological remodeling as a consequence of EAT accumulation and the consequent inflammation. We first describe the physiological and pathophysiological function of EAT and its unique secretome and subsequently discuss the evidence for ionic channel and connexin expression modulation as well as fibrotic remodeling induced by cytokines and free fatty acids that are secreted by EAT. Finally, we highlight how weight reduction and regression of EAT volume may cause reverse remodeling to ameliorate arrhythmic risk.
Topics: Adipose Tissue; Animals; Arrhythmias, Cardiac; Cytokines; Humans; Ion Channels; Pericardium
PubMed: 34890279
DOI: 10.1152/ajpheart.00565.2021 -
International Journal of Molecular... Jan 2022Currently, many different techniques exist for the surgical repair of peripheral nerves. The degree of injury dictates the repair and, depending on the defect or injury... (Review)
Review
Currently, many different techniques exist for the surgical repair of peripheral nerves. The degree of injury dictates the repair and, depending on the defect or injury of the peripheral nerve, plastic surgeons can perform nerve repairs, grafts, and transfers. All the previously listed techniques are routinely performed in human patients, but a novel addition to these peripheral nerve surgeries involves concomitant fat grafting to the repair site at the time of surgery. Fat grafting provides adipose-derived stem cells to the injury site. Though fat grafting is performed as an adjunct to some peripheral nerve surgeries, there is no clear evidence as to which procedures have improved outcomes resultant from concomitant fat grafting. This review explores the evidence presented in various animal studies regarding outcomes of fat grafting at the time of various types of peripheral nerve surgery.
Topics: Adipose Tissue; Adult Stem Cells; Animals; Disease Models, Animal; Humans; Nerve Regeneration; Peripheral Nerve Injuries; Stem Cell Transplantation
PubMed: 35054833
DOI: 10.3390/ijms23020644