Adipose tissue lipolysis.

Purpose Of Review: Adipose tissue lipolysis is a critical pathway for the maintenance of energy homeostasis through the degradation of triglycerides and the release of fatty acids into the circulation. The understanding of the cellular factors regulating triglyceride hydrolysis and the metabolic function of lipases has considerably expanded in the last few years, revealing an unexpected complexity. This review aims at describing recent discoveries related to the lipolytic pathway and its regulatory mechanisms.

Adipose tissue lipolysis revisited (again!): lactate involvement in insulin antilipolytic action.

Lactate is produced from glucose by adipose tissue. In this issue of Cell Metabolism, Ahmed et al. (2010) show that the metabolite is involved in the antilipolytic effect of insulin, providing a new link between fat and carbohydrate metabolism.

A role for the gut-to-brain GLP-1-dependent axis in the control of metabolism.

Over the past years tremendous amounts of clinical and fundamental data have been generated about GLP-1 and related therapeutic strategies for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. However, the cellular and physiological mechanisms through which GLP-1 is secreted, controls glycemia, and behaves as a therapeutic agent are certainly unclear. This is due to the dogma that proposes that upon glucose absorption GLP-1 is secreted into the hepatoportal blood flow, binds to its receptor at the surface of the insulin secreting beta cells, and triggers the secretion of insulin to control glycemia.

The gut microbiota ecology: a new opportunity for the treatment of metabolic diseases?

In humans, the intestinal microflora is inherited from our parents and from the environment. It has established an ecological mutualism with the host, allowing each organism to benefit from the symbiotic relationship. Based on recent evidence, some molecular mechanisms for the role of intestinal microflora on the control of energy metabolism have been proposed.