[White adipose tissue, inflammation and atherosclerosis]

Our view of white adipose tissue (WAT) has changed over the last decade, from an inert triglyceride storage tissue to a highly active metabolic organ. Indeed, WAT secretes proinflammatory cytokines such TNF-a, interleukin-1 (IL-1), interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra), and interleukin-6 (IL-6), and chemokines such as monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), interferon gamma inducible protein 10 (IP-10), interleukin-8 (IL-8), RANTES, and peptides with hormone-like actions such as adiponectin, leptin and resistin. Through their paracrine actions these factors contribute to local WAT inflammation, neoangiogenesis and differentiation. On entering the systemic circulation they can contribute to creating or maintaining a systemic inflammatory state, hypertension and insulin resistance, and can also affect central control of food intake. When located around organs such as the kidney, heart and blood vessels, WAT can adversely affect organ function by secreting cytokines and chemokines. For example, perivascular WAT which secretes proatherogenic cytokines and chemokines and which is present around large and medium-sized arteries, could contribute to the development of atherosclerotic lesions by attracting inflammatory cells and stimulating neoangiogenesis, thereby amplifying the chronic vascular inflammation which is the hallmark of atherosclerosis.