Resumen

BASTARRACHEA, Raúl A; FUENMAYOR, Ramón; BRAJKOVICH, Imperia  y  COMUZZIE, Anthony G. Entendiendo las causas de la obesidad a traves de la biologia celular del adiposito. Rev. Venez. Endocrinol. Metab. [online]. 2005, vol.3, n.3, pp.20-29. ISSN 1690-3110.

Obesity is a multidisciplinary topic, the biology of which includes: 1) the f fundamental mechanisms of energy balance and its regulation; 2) the genomic basis for the development of obesity; 3) the cellular pathways of adipose tissue function; 4) the molecular description of the obese state; 5) the pathological consequences of obesity; 6) the physiological basis for treatment strategies. Adipose tissue is now recognized as a key endocrine organ, communicating both with the brain and peripheral tissues through the adipokines. Obesity is characterized by mild inflammation, and the adipocyte may be the main locus of the inflammatory state, producing cytokines, chemokines, acute-phase proteins and angiogenic factors. In this article, we discuss the molecular and cellular signaling pathways at the intersection of metabolism and inflammation that contribute to diabetes and endothelial dysfunction through an excess of body fat. We dare to suggest several models for the integration of inflammatory and metabolic pathways in metabolic disease and obesity.

Palabras clave : Genomics; molecular pathways; adipose tissue; adipokines; inflammatory and metabolic mechanisms.