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Horm Metab Res 2003; 35(4): 204-210
DOI: 10.1055/s-2003-39475
Review
© Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart · New York

New Insights into How Adipocytes Sense their Triglyceride Stores. Is Cholesterol a Signal?

I.  Dugail1 , S.  Le Lay1 , M.  Varret1 , X.  Le Liepvre1 , G.  Dagher1 , P.  Ferré1
  • 1INSERM U 465, Institut Biomedical des Cordeliers, Paris, France
Further Information

Publication History

Received 1 October 2002

Accepted after Revision 15 November 2002

Publication Date:
02 June 2003 (online)

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Abstract

In recent years, our view of adipose tissue has evolved from a passive sink for energy storage to an active tissue producing multiple molecules acting on various tissues in different aspects of energy homeostasis. The production of adipose-derived secretory products is tightly regulated as a function of adipocyte lipid accumulation, but the mechanisms by which fat cells are able to sense the levels of their triglyceride stores still remains largely unknown. This paper reviews new insights into this question taking cholesterol as a potential intracellular signaling molecule.

Key words

Adipocytes - Cholesterol - Triglyceride stores

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I. Dugail

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