Adipose Tissue Remodeling as Homeostatic Inflammation

Figure 1

Adipose tissue inflammation as homeostatic inflammation. In innate immunity, exogenous ligands (pathogen-associated molecular patterns; PAMPs) are sensed by pattern-recognition receptors (PRRs), thereby inducing inflammatory changes. On the other hand, damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) released from damaged or stressed cells and tissues can activate PRRs, thereby inducing homeostatic inflammation ranging from the basal homeostatic state to diseased tissue remodeling. For instance, free fatty acids (FFAs) released from hypertrophied adipocytes can report, as a danger signal, their diseased state to macrophages via Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) complex during the course of obesity. dsRNA, double-strand RNA; PGN, peptidoglycan; ATP, adenosine tri-phosphate; oxLDL, oxidized low-density lipoprotein; HSP, heat shock protein; HMGB1, high-mobility group box-1.