The endocrine function of adipose tissue and its importance for initiation and development of insulin resistance and diabetes

Abstract

Endocrine production of adipose tissue is a very complex process affected by numerous endogenous and exogenous stimuli. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors-alpha (PPAR-) are important modulators of metabolic processes which can also affect endocrine function of adipose tissue. Recently, numerous novel factors produced by adipose tissue with important metabolic effects were identified. Some of them can directly bind PPAR receptors. One of the examples of these factors is fatty acid binding protein 4 (FABP4) which can directly bind PPAR receptors and indirectly modify its activation by changing availability of endogenous PPAR ligands -free fatty acids. We hypothesized that the mechanism of action of PPAR receptors to metabolic processes may partially lie in their complex interaction with adipose tissue-derived hormones. The unraveling of these interactions may have important consequences in finding approaches to treat patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. (...) In summary, our data show an important role for the interplay of PPAR activation and endocrine function of adipose tissue in metabolic regulations which may have important clinical consequences

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