Estradiol cycling drives female obesogenic adipocyte hyperplasia.

White adipose tissue (WAT) distribution is sex dependent. Adipocyte hyperplasia contributes to WAT distribution in mice driven by cues in the tissue microenvironment, with females displaying hyperplasia in subcutaneous and visceral WAT, while males and ovariectomized females have visceral WAT (VWAT)-specific hyperplasia. However, the mechanism underlying sex-specific hyperplasia remains elusive.

Insights of the role of estrogen in obesity from two models of ERα deletion.

Sex hormones play a pivotal role in physiology and disease. Estrogen, the female sex hormone, has been long implicated in having protective roles against obesity. However, the direct impact of estrogens in white adipose tissue (WAT) function and growth is not understood.

The Adipose Tissue Microenvironment Regulates Depot-Specific Adipogenesis in Obesity.

The sexually dimorphic distribution of adipose tissue influences the development of obesity-associated pathologies. The accumulation of visceral white adipose tissue (VWAT) that occurs in males is detrimental to metabolic health, while accumulation of subcutaneous adipose tissue (SWAT) seen in females may be protective. Here, we show that adipocyte hyperplasia contributes directly to the differential fat distribution between the sexes.