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Tumour necrosis factor‐α in human adipose tissue – from signalling mechanisms to clinical implications
Author(s) -
Rydén M.,
Arner P.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
journal of internal medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.625
H-Index - 160
eISSN - 1365-2796
pISSN - 0954-6820
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2796.2007.01854.x
Subject(s) - adipose tissue , insulin resistance , medicine , lipolysis , tumor necrosis factor alpha , obesity , endocrinology , cachexia , phenotype , white adipose tissue , metabolic syndrome , bioinformatics , biology , genetics , cancer , gene
. From its initial implication in the development of cachexia in the early 1980s, it is now almost 15 years ago that tumour necrosis factor‐alpha (TNF‐α) was first shown to be involved in the development of insulin resistance in obesity. Since the original findings in mice, a wealth of data has been obtained in a variety of settings and species. This intensive research has demonstrated both similarities and differences between rodents and humans regarding the molecular mechanisms and metabolic consequences of TNF‐α overexpression. This review will focus on the role of TNF‐α in human white adipose tissue with particular emphasis on its regulation of lipolysis – an important pathway in adipocytes which is linked to insulin‐resistant phenotypes in obesity and the metabolic syndrome.