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Published on: June 2, 2015
Vitamin A metabolism and adipose tissue biology
1Department of Medicine and the Institute of Human Nutrition, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA. mail@simonefrey.de
Abstract:
In recent years, the importance of vitamin A in adipose tissue biology, obesity and type II diabetes has become apparent. This review focuses on recent developments within the area of vitamin A and adipose tissue biology. Adipose tissue has an active vitamin A metabolism as it not only stores vitamin A but retinol is also converted to its active metabolite retinoic acid. Several mouse models point to a relationship between vitamin A metabolism and the development of adiposity. Similarly, in vitro studies provide new molecular mechanisms for the function of different forms of vitamin A and retinol- or retinoic acid-binding proteins in adipose tissue.
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