Bioingeniøren (May 2021)
Inflammation and insulin resistance in adipose tissue
Abstract
Background. Adipose tissue is today well established as a complex and active endocrine organ. The adipose tissue secretes a number of cytokines, adipokines, which act both locally and systemically. The adipose tissue in normal weight people has anti-inflammatory properties, but in overweight / obesity the adipose tissue is exposed to various forms of cellular stress which results in increased production of pro-inflammatory cytokines. This causes a chronic low-grade inflammation that is associated with a number of metabolic diseases such as insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes and to atherosclerotic heart diseases. Material and method. This review article is based on non-systematic searches in PubMed and mainly on the author's experience through her own and others' research at the Center for Clinical Heart Research, Department of Cardiology, Oslo University Hospital Ullevål. Discussion. A lot of research has been performed to sort out and understand the mechanisms behind adipose tissue inflammation as related to obesity, insulin resistance and diabetes, and several strategies have been tried to inhibit pro-inflammatory signaling. Further research and methodological development provide opportunities for better and more targeted treatment strategies for the increasing burden of metabolic diseases linked to overweight and obesity. Although dietary changes and increased physical activity still are the most important strategies to reduce weight, there is still a need for alternative forms of treatment.
