The multifaceted roles of the adipose tissue vasculature

Abstract

The prevalence of obesity and its associated pathologies continue to increase, which has led to a renewed interest in our major weight-regulating organ, the white adipose tissue. It has become clear that its development, expansion, and physiological function depend on proper crosstalk between each of its cellular constituents, with a central role for the vascular endothelium lining the blood vessels. Although first considered a mere barrier, the endothelium has emerged as a dynamic unit modulating many critical adipose tissue functions. It not only oversees the uptake of all nutrients to be stored in the adipocytes but also provides an important growth niche for adipocyte progenitors and regulates the expandability of the tissue during overfeeding and obesity. In this review, we describe the reciprocal relationship between endothelial cells, adipocytes, and obesity. We present recent studies that support an important role for endothelial cells as central mediators of many of the physiological and pathological functions of the adipose tissue and highlight several unknown aspects of adipose tissue vascular biology. This new perspective could present exciting opportunities to develop new therapeutic approaches against obesity-related pathologies and is thus of great interest in our increasingly obese society.

Keywords: adipose tissue; angiogenesis; obesity; vasculature.