The Functional Difference between Visceral Fatty cells and Subcutaneous Adipoytes
Titov, V.N.
Klinicheskaia Meditsina 93(2): 14-23
2015
ISSN/ISBN: 0023-2149 PMID: 26117914 Document Number: 682083
Visceral fatty cells evolved in the course of phylogenesis millions of years earlier than subcutaneous adipocytes. The pool of visceral fatty cells have realized biological functions of trophology and homeostasis since early phylogenesis whereas subcutaneous adipocytes have performed the phylogenetically younger locomotary function. The former cells, unlike the latter ones have no insulin receptors. Both realize biological reactions of exotrophy, storage, and endotrophy. The most usual cause of obesity is the compromised reaction of fatty acid (FA) deposition in the form of triglycerides (TG). It accounts for the disordered function of visceral fatty cells (metabolic syndrome) and insulin-dependent adipocytes (obesity) frequently leading to metabolic "pandemics". Fatty cells absorb FA in the form of non-polar TG, store them in lipid "droplets" and release FA into the intercellular medium in the form of polar non-esterified FA. Visceral fatty cells have formed in paracrine enterocyte communities where the TG-transporting microsomal protein gave rise to early chylomicrons. Visceral fatty cells and subcutaneous adipocytes are phylogenetically, functionally and pathogenetically different entities that should be regarded separately. Similar to all cells of the loose connective tissue, they secreted many humoral mediators of paracrine regulation when other means of regulation were inexistent. Leptin and adiponectin are specific mediators of visceral fatty cells and subcutaneous adipocytes respectively.