title: Adipose tissue: a regulator of inflammation.
abstract: Adipose tissue is a highly active organ. In addition to storing calories as triglycerides, it also secretes a large variety of proteins, including cytokines, chemokines and hormone-like factors, such as leptin, adiponectin and resistin. Intriguingly, many, if not most, of these adipose-derived proteins have dual actions; cytokines have both immunomodulatory functions and act as systemic or auto-/paracrine regulators of metabolism, while proteins such as leptin and adiponectin are regulators of both metabolism and inflammation. The production of pro-atherogenic chemokines by adipose tissue is of particular interest since their local secretion, e.g. by perivascular adipose depots, may provide a novel mechanistic link between obesity and the associated vascular complications.
authors.affiliation: Endocrine Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital of Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Cristiana E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Juge-Aubry
authors.forename: Elvire
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Henrichot
authors.forename: Christoph A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Meier
mesh_terms: D052242:Adiponectin / Q000502:physiology; D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D018925:Chemokines / Q000502:physiology; D016207:Cytokines / Q000502:physiology; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000503:physiopathology*; D020738:Leptin / Q000502:physiology; D050356:Lipid Metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D051379:Mice; D052243:Resistin / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D052242:Adiponectin; D018925:Chemokines; D016207:Cytokines; D020738:Leptin; D052243:Resistin; D005947:Glucose