TNF-alpha and insulin resistance: summary and future prospects.
While the causes of obesity remain elusive, the relationship between obesity and insulin resistance is a well-established fact [1]. Insulin resistance is defined as a smaller than normal response to a certain dose of insulin, and contributes to several pathological problems of obese patients such as hyperlipidemia, arteriosclerosis and hypertension. Several pieces of evidence indicate that the cytokine tumor necrosis factor a (TNF-alpha) is an important player in the state of insulin resistance observed during obesity. In this review we will try to summarize what is known about the function of TNF-alpha in insulin resistance during obesity and how TNF-alpha interferes with insulin signaling.
Peraldi
P
P
Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
Spiegelman
B
B
D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D007333:Insulin Resistance / Q000502:physiology*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*
D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha