Physiological determinants and impacts of the adipocyte phenotype.

The properties of adipose tissues accumulating in various compartments and ectopic sites around the body represent critical determinants of the relationship between obesity and metabolic disease. The increasingly recognized plasticity of the adipose cell phenotype led to many articles on the cellular characteristics and origins on brown, white and also of 'beige' or 'brite' adipocytes in recent years. This overview is a summary of manuscripts that were prepared by speakers at the 16th International Symposium of the Laval University Research Chair in Obesity. The data reviewed herein suggest that brown adipose tissue-inducing therapies may also modulate skeletal status through their effects on bone morphology and structure. Moreover, recently identified beige-like properties of epicardial fat in humans could eventually be considered for the management of coronary heart disease in humans. The regulation of brown adipose tissue activation through sympathetic nervous system innervation or non-sympathetic activators is also a complex phenomenon that needs further investigation. Scientific work aimed at better understanding the characteristics and regulation of metabolic homeostasis in each adipose compartment is an important aspect of our progression toward preventive or even curative approaches for obesity.