Question

In 500-600 words write how obesity affects adipocytes?

Answer 1

Ans :

Adipose tissues secrete bioactive substances, referred to as adipokines, which largely function as modulators of inflammation. The microenvironment of adipose tissue will affect the adipokine secretome, having actions on remote tissues. Obesity typically leads to the upregulation of pro-inflammatory adipokines and the downregulation of anti-inflammatory adipokines, thereby contributing to the pathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases. In this review, we focus on the microenvironment of adipose tissue and how it influences cardiovascular disorders, including atherosclerosis and ischemic heart diseases, through the systemic actions of adipokines.

The mechanisms by which adipose depots expand in response to an excessive caloric intake represent a crucial determinant of the risk of metabolic dysfunction and CVD.

This expansion is mediated by an increase in adipocyte numbers (hyperplasia) and/or an enlargement of adipocyte size (hypertrophy). It has been classically accepted that hyperplasia allows a “healthy” expansion of the adipose tissue, since it is mediated by the formation of functional adipocytes from progenitor cells (adipogenesis). In contrast, adipocyte hypertrophy typically leads to lipid-laden, dysfunctional adipocytes that undergo cell death and contribute to adipose tissue inflammation, dysfunction and associated pathologies. As discussed above, different adipose tissue depots contribute differentially to disease processes, and this may be connected to a dysfunctional expansion of the different fat depots.

It has been proposed that subcutaneous fat in many human individuals exhibits limited expandability due to a deficient adipogenic capacity, which leads to subcutaneous adipocyte enlargement (hypertrophic obesity) and ultimately promotes the storage of fat in visceral and other ectopic depots56. In this regard, it is noteworthy that several genetic modifications have been shown to improve insulin sensitivity in obese mice by inducing subcutaneous adipose tissue expansion without increasing adipocyte size, highlighting the therapeutic potential of strategies aimed at promoting adipogenic/hyperplastic growth of subcutaneous fat as a mean of preventing the metabolic and CV complications of obesity.