Gluttony, sloth and the metabolic syndrome: a roadmap to lipotoxicity

The metabolic syndrome, characterized by insulin resistance, fatty liver, increased risk of diabetes, among others, affects ~1/6 of the population of the United States. While 2/3 of the US population is estimated to be overweight or obese, an article published online on 8 March 2010 in Trends in Endocrinology and Metabolism by Roger Unger and Philipp Scherer describes that obesity may in fact protect against metabolic syndrome, by storing lipids in the appropriate place -- in fat.

The authors also address the role of insulin resistance in the metabolic syndrome, as there is much discussion in the field regarding its role as either a cause or feature of the metabolic syndrome. They argue for the latter, i.e. that insulin resistance is merely a byproduct of fat deposition in the liver and muscle, once fat cells reach their storage capacity. Instead, they argue for the important role of leptin, a hormone that increases as fat storage increases, concluding that obesity and hyperleptinemia protect nonadipose organs from lipotoxicity.

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Trends in Endocrinology and Metabolism contains polished and concise reviews, opinions, and discussions of topics at the cutting edge of the field. The articles incorporate clinical and research perspectives and differ from classical reviews with their focus on the more recent developments in each topic. The content is lively and accessible to a broad audience encompassing basic researchers, physician scientists, and clinical endocrinologists. Topics include physiological function of hormones and the tissues that secrete them, and the recent developments in the metabolism field, from lipid biology to diabetes/insulin resistance.

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In this month's issue:

Pituitary somatostatin receptor signaling
Metabolic reprogramming, caloric restriction and aging
Chaperone-mediated autophagy: selectivity pays off
Expansion of β-cell mass in response to pregnancy
Stress-induced obesity and the emotional nervous system
Thyroid hormone crosstalk with nuclear receptor signaling in metabolic regulation
Inhibins: from reproductive hormones to tumor suppressors
Protein arginine methylation in estrogen signaling and estrogen-related cancers
Trafficking of G-protein coupled receptors to the plasma membrane: insights for pharmacoperone drugs

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Most Read Articles Article Feed

These are the five most downloaded papers for the 30 days preceding March 11, 2010. See full list of most read articles

Gluttony, sloth and the metabolic syndrome: a roadmap to lipotoxicity

Roger H. Unger, Philipp E. Scherer
10.1016/j.tem.2010.01.009

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Metabolic reprogramming, caloric restriction and aging

Rozalyn M. Anderson, Richard Weindruch
10.1016/j.tem.2009.11.005

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Stress-induced obesity and the emotional nervous system

Mary F. Dallman
10.1016/j.tem.2009.10.004

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Insulin, leptin and reward

Jon F. Davis, Derrick L. Choi, Stephen C. Benoit
10.1016/j.tem.2009.08.004

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Insulin-like actions of glucagon-like peptide-1: a dual receptor hypothesis

Eva Tomas, Joel F. Habener
10.1016/j.tem.2009.11.007

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