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AIMing at Metabolic Syndrome: Towards development of novel therapies for modern metabolic diseases via macrophage‐derived AIM
Author(s) -
Miyazaki Toru,
Kurokawa Jun,
Arai Satoko
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.26.1_supplement.570.9
Subject(s) - metabolic syndrome , inflammation , macrophage , adipose tissue , adipocyte , cd36 , lipolysis , medicine , pathogenesis , cancer research , biology , immunology , endocrinology , obesity , biochemistry , receptor , in vitro
Metabolic syndrome is a cascade of metabolic diseases starting with obesity and progressing to atherosclerosis and is often fatal because of serious cardiovascular problems such as heart/brain infarction and hemorrhage. Accumulating evidence has revealed a critical involvement of inflammatory responses triggered by lesional macrophages in its pathogenesis. Importantly, we found that macrophages are associated with the progression of these diseases not only in the induction of inflammation but also in the production of apoptosis inhibitor of macrophage (AIM), which we initially identified as a soluble factor expressed by macrophages. At atherosclerotic plaques, AIM is highly expressed by foam macrophages and inhibits apoptosis of these cells. This results in the accumulation of macrophages, causing inflammatory responses within the lesion, and ultimately disease progression. In adipose tissue, macrophage‐derived AIM is incorporated into adipocytes through CD36‐mediated endocytosis, thereby reducing the activity of cytosolic fatty acid synthase. This unique response stimulates lipolysis, resulting in a decrease in adipocyte size, which is physiologically relevant to the prevention of obesity. The lipolytic response also stimulates inflammation of adipocytes in association with the induction of metabolic disorders subsequent to obesity. Thus, AIM is involved in the progression of metabolic syndrome in both advancing and inhibitory fashions. Regulation of AIM could therefore be therapeutically applicable for metabolic syndrome.