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Updated: Jul 9, 2026
06:31
Identification and Dissection of Diverse Mouse Adipose Depots
Published on: July 11, 2019
Adipose tissue and the vessel wall.
1University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA. tmazzone@uic.edu
Current Drug Targets
|November 30, 2007
Summary
Obesity accelerates atherosclerosis by altering blood vessel health through factors secreted by adipose tissue. Mouse models help investigate how these factors impact cardiovascular disease development.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Science
- Metabolic Disease Research
- Obesity Studies
Background:
- Rising global obesity rates increase cardiovascular mortality.
- Obesity-related atherogenesis involves complex changes in lipoproteins, blood pressure, and inflammatory factors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of adipose tissue secretory products on vessel wall homeostasis in obesity.
- To utilize mouse models for dissecting the mechanisms linking obesity and atherosclerosis.
Main Methods:
- Employing mouse models with genetic modifications (deletion/overexpression) of adipose-secreted factors.
- Analyzing the effects of factors like adiponectin, resistin, leptin, serum amyloid A, and apoE on vessel wall.
- Validating the role of angiotensin II, TNFalpha, and MCP-1 in obese mouse models.
Main Results:
- Adipose tissue secretes factors (adiponectin, resistin, leptin, apolipoproteins) that directly affect vessel wall homeostasis.
- Obesity-induced changes in adipose tissue influence liver production of systemic inflammatory factors.
- Mouse models confirm the detrimental impact of specific factors on vessel health in obesity.
Conclusions:
- Excess adipose tissue significantly alters organismal homeostasis, impacting vessel wall integrity.
- Mouse genetics provides powerful tools for mechanistic investigation of obesity-accelerated atherosclerosis.
- Targeted studies in mouse models are crucial for understanding complex in vivo interactions.
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