Intracellular role of exchangeable apolipoproteins in energy homeostasis, obesity and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
Exchangeable apolipoproteins play an important role in systemic lipid metabolism, especially for lipoproteins with which they are associated. Recently, emerging evidence has suggested that exchangeable apolipoproteins, such as apolipoprotein A4 (apoA4), apolipoprotein A5 (apoA5), apolipoprotein C3 (apoC3) and apolipoprotein E (apoE), also exert important effects on intracellular lipid homeostasis. There is a close link between lipid metabolism in adipose tissue and liver because the latter behaves as the metabolic sensor of dysfunctional adipose tissue and is a main target of lipotoxicity. Given that the energy balance between these two major lipogenic organs is intimately involved in the pathogenesis of obesity and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), we here review recent findings concerning the intracellular function of exchangeable apolipoproteins in triglyceride metabolism in adipocytes and hepatocytes. These apolipoproteins may act as mediators of crosstalk between adipose tissue and liver, thus influencing development of obesity and hepatosteatosis. This review provides new insights into the physiological role of exchangeable apolipoproteins and identifies latent targets for therapeutic intervention of obesity and its related disorders.
Department of Cardiology, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410011, China.
Chen-Lu
CL
Wu
Shui-Ping
SP
Zhao
Bi-Lian
BL
Yu
D000818:Animals; D001053:Apolipoproteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D004734:Energy Metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D065626:Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease / Q000378:metabolism*; D009765:Obesity / Q000378:metabolism*
D001053:Apolipoproteins
adipocyte; apolipoprotein; hepatocyte; non-alcoholic fatty liver disease; obesity; triglyceride