The adipocyte as an endocrine cell
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Updated: Jul 1, 2026

Identification and Dissection of Diverse Mouse Adipose Depots
Published on: July 11, 2019
Nils Halberg1, Ingrid Wernstedt-Asterholm, Philipp E Scherer
1Touchstone Diabetes Center, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 5323 Harry Hines Boulevard, Dallas, TX 75390-8549, USA.
Abstract:
Adipose tissue contains many cell types. Among the more abundant are adipocytes, preadipocytes, immune cells, and endothelial cells. During times of excess caloric intake, these cells have to adjust and remodel to accommodate the increased demand for triglyceride storage. Based on a comprehensive analysis of the total adipose tissue secretome, this article focuses on three areas of adipokine biology: (1) How does the adipocyte interact with the extracellular matrix over the course of obesity? (2) Does the adipocyte, per se, play a role in the innate immune response? (3) How is the angiogenic profile of adipose tissue linked to the development of insulin resistance? The authors present a comprehensive overview of all of the currently available secreted adipose tissue products that have been identified at the protein level.
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