title: Mechanisms Linking Inflammation to Insulin Resistance.
abstract: Obesity is now widespread around the world. Obesity-associated chronic low-grade inflammation is responsible for the decrease of insulin sensitivity, which makes obesity a major risk factor for insulin resistance and related diseases such as type 2 diabetes mellitus and metabolic syndromes. The state of low-grade inflammation is caused by overnutrition which leads to lipid accumulation in adipocytes. Obesity might increase the expression of some inflammatory cytokines and activate several signaling pathways, both of which are involved in the pathogenesis of insulin resistance by interfering with insulin signaling and action. It has been suggested that specific factors and signaling pathways are often correlated with each other; therefore, both of the fluctuation of cytokines and the status of relevant signaling pathways should be considered during studies analyzing inflammation-related insulin resistance. In this paper, we discuss how these factors and signaling pathways contribute to insulin resistance and the therapeutic promise targeting inflammation in insulin resistance based on the latest experimental studies.
authors.affiliation: Hubei University of Chinese Medicine, Wuhan 430061, China ; Hubei Provincial Collaborative Innovation Center of Preventive Treatment by Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Wuhan 430061, China.
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Integrated TCM and Western Medicine Department, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College of Huazhong Science and Technology University, Wuhan 430022, China.
authors.forename: Rui
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-1587-0362
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Hubei Provincial Collaborative Innovation Center of Preventive Treatment by Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Wuhan 430061, China ; Acupuncture and Moxibustion College, Hubei University of Chinese Medicine, Wuhan 430061, China.
authors.forename: Hua
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Hubei Provincial Collaborative Innovation Center of Preventive Treatment by Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Wuhan 430061, China ; Acupuncture and Moxibustion College, Hubei University of Chinese Medicine, Wuhan 430061, China.
authors.forename: Fengxia
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-9161-3472
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Liang