The Role of Adipose Tissue Vasculature in Energy Balance

Kim, Hyun Ju; Choi, Sang Hyun; Chun, Boe Gwun; Kim, Dong Hoon

Abstract

The prevalence of obesity is rapidly growing throughout the developing and developed world. Given the seriousness of obesity, it critically needs to develop new therapeutic ways to defend against its growth. Persistent increase in food intake is a primary cause of the energy imbalance. The arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus is a key region to integrate signals originating from various regions in periphery and leptin resistance in the central nervous system (CNS) contributes to the impaired regulation of food intake. It has been endeavor to treat obesity by understanding the mechanisms of CNS regulation of food intake. Adipose tissue has been regarded as a tumor because of its reversible expansibility and dependency on vasculature. There has been a challenge to starve adipose tissue by inhibiting adipose tissue vasculature. A peptide to cause apoptosis of endothelium only in white adipose tissue greatly loses body weight by reducing food intake independent of the action of leptin. This study provides convincing evidence for a previously unknown relationship between the status of adipose tissue vasculature and the regulation of food intake that may provide a novel way for decreasing body fat. However, the mechanism by which the inhibition of angiogenesis in white adipose tissue decreases food intake and body weight remains unclear. In this review, we describe the potential mechanisms of regulation of food intake induced by inhibition of angiogenesis in white adipose tissue.