Fat Cell and Fatty Acid Turnover in Obesity

The ratio of free fatty acid (FFA) turnover decreases significantly with the expansion of white adipose tissue. Adipose tissue and dietary saturated fatty acid levels significantly correlate with an increase in fat cell size and number. Inhibition of adipose triglyceride lipase leads to an accumulation of triglyceride, whereas inhibition of hormone-sensitive lipase leads to the accumulation of diacylglycerol. The G0/G1 switch gene 2 increases lipid content in adipocytes and promotes adipocyte hypertrophy through the restriction of triglyceride turnover. Excess triacylglycerols (TAGs), sterols and sterol esters are surrounded by the phospholipid monolayer surface and form lipid droplets. Following the release of lipid droplets from endoplasmic reticulum, cytoplasmic lipid droplets increase their volume either by local TAG synthesis or by homotypic fusion. The number and the size of lipid droplet distribution is correlated with obesity. Obesity-associated adipocyte death exhibits feature of necrosis-like programmed cell death. NOD-like receptors family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome-dependent caspase-1 activation in hypertrophic adipocytes induces obese adipocyte death by pyroptosis. Actually adipocyte death may be a prerequisite for the transition from hypertrophic to hyperplastic obesity. Major transcriptional factors, CCAAT/enhancer-binding proteins beta and delta, play a central role in the subsequent induction of critical regulators, peroxisome-proliferator-activated receptor gamma, CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein alpha and sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1, in the transcriptional control of adipogenesis in obesity.Collectively, in this chapter the concept of adipose tissue remodeling in response to adipocyte death or adipogenesis, and the complexity of lipid droplet interactions with the other cellular organelles are reviewed. Furthermore, in addition to lipid droplet growth, the functional link between the adipocyte-specific lipid droplet-associated protein and fatty acid turn-over is also debated.