Extracellular Matrix Remodeling of Adipose Tissue in Obesity and Metabolic Diseases

Abstract

The extracellular matrix (ECM) is a network of different proteins and proteoglycans that controls differentiation, migration, repair, survival, and development, and it seems that its remodeling is required for healthy adipose tissue expansion. Obesity drives an excessive lipid accumulation in adipocytes, which provokes immune cells infiltration, fibrosis (an excess of deposition of ECM components such as collagens, elastin, and fibronectin) and inflammation, considered a consequence of local hypoxia, and ultimately insulin resistance. To understand the mechanism of this process is a challenge to treat the metabolic diseases. This review is focused at identifying the putative role of ECM in adipose tissue, describing its structure and components, its main tissue receptors, and how it is affected in obesity, and subsequently the importance of an appropriate ECM remodeling in adipose tissue expansion to prevent metabolic diseases.

Keywords: adipose tissue; extracellular matrix; insulin resistance; obesity.

Figure 1

ECM remodeling is linked to obesity and IR in adipose tissue. Abbreviations: AKT: protein kinase B; EGF: epidermal growth factor; EGFR: epidermal growth factor receptor; ERK: extracellular-signal-regulated kinase; FGF: fibroblast growth factor; FGFR: fibroblast growth factor receptor; GLUT4: glucose transporter type 4; ILK: integrin-linked kinase; IR: insulin receptor; IRS1: Insulin receptor substrate 1; MAPK: mitogen-activated protein kinases; mTOR: mammalian target of Rapamycin; PI3K: phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase; RGD: Arg–Gly–Asp peptide; SOS: Son of Sevenless; Src: Proto-oncogene tyrosine-protein kinase.