Beyond the Classic Endocrine Glands Flashcards
What is the main function of adipocytes?
→ Store energy as triglycerides
→ Release them as free fatty acids
How do triglycerides get inside cells?
→ As free fatty acids
→ hydrolyzed by lipoprotein lipase
What are free fatty acids bound to?
→ Albumin
What is the main source of triglycerides?
→ Chylomicrons from digestion
→ VLDL
What happens when free fatty acids are in the cell?
→ Become triglycerides again
What happens when the body needs fat for energy?
→ HSL (hormone sensitive lipase) breaks down fat stored as triglycerides
→ Adrenaline, glucagon,cortisol and GH stimulate this
What happens when the body has excess fat and needs to store it?
→ Insulin stimulates LPL to break down TG into FFA
→ FFA enter the cell
What is glucose usually converted to for storage?
→ Glycogen
What is glucose converted to when it can no longer be stored as glycogen?
→ converted into fat
→ Stored in larger quantities
Why is adipose tissue needed?
If fat was allowed to accumulate it would be toxic
→ Lipotoxicity
What does leptin do?
→ Signals satiety to the brain
What does adiponectin do?
→ Increases insulin sensitivity
What is leptin released from?
→ Adipose tissue
What do mutations of leptin cause?
→ LEP gene or LEPR (leptin receptor)
→ lead to abnormal eating behavior and morbid obesity
What is obesity associated with?
→ Leptin resistance
What is obesity a state of?
→ Chronic low level inflammation
Attract macrophages
What are the signals like in healthy adipose tissue?
→ Leptin signals satiety to the brain
→ Adiponectin increases insulin sensitivity
→ Resistin levels low
What are the signals like in obesity?
→ Leptin is high but resistance to leptin
→ Adiponectin is low
→ Insulin resistance
What happens as adipose tissue expands?
→ as adipose tissue expands
→ cytokines are secreted eg IL6 and TNF alpha
→ They attract more macrophages