Mechanobiology of Adipocytes

Abstract

The growing obesity epidemic necessitates increased research on adipocyte and adipose tissue function and disease mechanisms that progress obesity. Historically, adipocytes were viewed simply as storage for excess energy. However, recent studies have demonstrated that adipocytes play a critical role in whole-body homeostasis, are involved in cell communication, experience forces in vivo, and respond to mechanical stimuli. Changes to the adipocyte mechanical microenvironment can affect function and, in some cases, contribute to disease. The aim of this review is to summarize the current literature on the mechanobiology of adipocytes. We reviewed over 100 papers on how mechanical stress is sensed by the adipocyte, the effects on cell behavior, and the use of cell culture scaffolds, particularly those with tunable stiffness, to study adipocyte behavior, adipose cell and tissue mechanical properties, and computational models. From our review, we conclude that adipocytes are responsive to mechanical stimuli, cell function and adipogenesis can be dictated by the mechanical environment, the measurement of mechanical properties is highly dependent on testing methods, and current modeling practices use many different approaches to recapitulate the complex behavior of adipocytes and adipose tissue. This review is intended to aid future studies by summarizing the current literature on adipocyte mechanobiology.

Keywords: adipocyte biology; finite element analysis; mechanobiology; obesity.

Figure 1

Schematic of the adipocyte and relevant mechanosensitive proteins, including Piezo 1/2 (2.4 Piezo channels), F-actin (2.2 Cellular structure and 4. Cell stiffness measurements), vimentin (2.2. Cellular structure), SWELL1 (2.5. SWELL1), lamins (1.2. Lamins and 2.2. Cellular structure), PPAR (3.2. Response to shockwaves and 3.4. Response to underlying substrate stiffness), C/EBPs (3.2. Response to shockwaves and 3.4. Response to underlying substrate stiffness), IRS-1 (3.4. Response to underlying substrate stiffness), PI3K/AKT (2.5. SWELL1), and GLUT4 (3.4.1. Effects on insulin sensitivity). Not drawn to scale. Created with BioRender.com (accessed on 10 March 2024).

Figure 2

Schematic of the preadipocyte and relevant mechanotransduction pathways and mechanosensitive proteins involved in differentiation. ECM = extracellular matrix, LD = lipid droplet, P = phosphorylation. Not drawn to scale. Created with BioRender.com (accessed on 7 June 2024).

Figure 3

Schematic of the mature adipocyte and relevant mechanotransduction pathways and mechanosensitive proteins involved in mediating adipogenesis, cell size, and differentiation. HFD = high-fat diet, LD = lipid droplet. Not drawn to scale. Created with BioRender.com (accessed on 7 June 2024).