Dietary and hormonal factors involved in healthy or unhealthy visceral adipose tissue expansion.

ZUBIRIA G; SPINEDI E; ONGARO L; ALZAMENDI A; GIOVAMBATTISTA A

Adiposity - Epidemiology and Treatment Modalities

INTECH

Año: 2017; p. 165 - 187

White adipose tissue (WAT) expansion is related to the development of metabolic disorders found in obesity. This WAT expansion is the result of new adipose cells generation by adipogenesis activation and/or the increase of adipose cell size (hypertrophy). The balance between these two processes determines whether WAT expansion occurs predominantly by hyperplasia, this means the increase in the number of adipocytes, or hypertrophy. Hypertrophic adipocytes are characterized by changes in adipokines secretion pattern, insulin resistance and altered lipid metabolism, which is the reason why WAT hypertrophic expansion is considered unhealthy. Conversely, the generation of new mature adipocytes by adipogenesis contributes to reduce the development of hypertrophic adipocytes and therefore maintain normal WAT functions, leading to healthy hyperplastic expansion. The adipogenic capacity of adipose tissue depends on the adipogenic potential and number of adipocyte precursor cells. Different factors are known to regulate adipogenic process and adipose tissue function, contributing to a healthy or unhealthy expansion that occurs under positive energy balance. The purpose ofthis chapter is to discuss the role of fructose intake, glucocorticoids, and testosterone as regulators of adipose tissue function and expansion.