title: Visceral Adipose Tissue Mesothelial Cells: Living on the Edge or Just Taking Up Space?
abstract: Visceral adiposity and pathological adipose tissue remodeling, a result of overnutrition, are strong predictors of metabolic health in obesity. Factors intrinsic to visceral adipose depots are likely to play a causal role in eliciting the detrimental effects of this tissue on systemic nutrient homeostasis. The visceral adipose-associated mesothelium, a monolayer of epithelial cells of mesodermal origin that line the visceral serosa, has recently attracted attention for its role in metabolic dysfunction. Here we highlight and consolidate literature from various fields of study that points to the visceral adipose-associated mesothelium as a potential contributor to adipose development and remodeling. We propose a hypothesis in which adipose mesothelial cells represent a visceral depot-specific determinant of adipose tissue health in obesity.
authors.affiliation: Touchstone Diabetes Center, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Endocrinology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA. Electronic address: olga.gupta@utsouthwestern.edu.
authors.forename: Olga T
authors.initials: OT
authors.lastname: Gupta
authors.affiliation: Touchstone Diabetes Center, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA.
authors.forename: Rana K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Gupta
mesh_terms: D017667:Adipocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D005355:Fibrosis / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans
keywords: adipocyte development; adipose tissue; fibrosis; inflammation; mesothelial cells