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A role for sphingolipids in the pathophysiology of obesity-induced inflammation

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Abstract

Following the initial discovery that adipose tissue actively synthesizes and secretes cytokines, obesity-induced inflammation has been implicated in the etiology of a host of disease states related to obesity, including cardiovascular disease and type II diabetes. Interestingly, a growing body of evidence similarly implicates sphingolipids as prime instigators in these same diseases. From the recent discovery that obesity-related inflammatory pathways modulate sphingolipid metabolism comes a novel perspective—sphingolipids may act as the dominant mediators of deleterious events stemming from obesity-induced inflammation. This paradigm may identify sphingolipids as an effective target for future therapeutics aimed at ameliorating diseases associated with chronic inflammation.

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  1. Department of Physiology and Developmental Biology, Brigham Young University, 593 WIDB, Provo, UT, 84602, USA

    Benjamin T. Bikman

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Bikman, B.T. A role for sphingolipids in the pathophysiology of obesity-induced inflammation. Cell. Mol. Life Sci. 69, 2135–2146 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00018-012-0917-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00018-012-0917-5

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