|
|
||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Diabetes Special Issue |
L Stehno-Bittel, PT, PhD, is Professor and Chair, Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science, and Scientific Director, Great Plains Diabetes Institute, University of Kansas Medical Center, 3901 Rainbow Blvd, Kansas City, KS 66160 (USA).
Address all correspondence to Dr Stehno-Bittel at: LBITTEL{at}kumc.edu
One of the most exciting cell biology fields of study concerns the physiology and pathology of fat. The basic assumptions once held concerning the function of adipose tissue have been shown to be oversimplified or sometimes completely wrong. Fat does more than store excess energy; it is actually the largest endocrine organ in the body, and it may be one of the most active. Adipocytes release hormones and other molecules that act on nearby tissues and travel through the vasculature to distant sites, such as the brain, skeletal muscle, and liver. Under conditions of normal weight, those signals help the body to suppress hunger, utilize glucose, and decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease. However, under conditions of obesity, the hormones (or the proteins that bind the hormones) become abnormal and can result in states of chronic inflammation leading to diabetes and heart disease. In addition, excessive fat can lead to the accumulation of lipid droplets in nonfat cells, including skeletal and cardiac muscle. Although some lipid droplets are used as an immediate source of energy for cells, large numbers of stored droplets can cause cellular damage and cell death. The purposes of this article are to review the normal and deviant signals released by fat cells, to draw a link between those signals and chronic diseases such as diabetes, and to discuss the role of exercise in reversing some of the deviant signaling perpetrated by excess fat.
![]()
CiteULike
Complore
Connotea
Del.icio.us
Digg
Reddit
Technorati What's this?
This article has been cited by other articles:
![]() |
L. P Turcotte and J. S Fisher Skeletal Muscle Insulin Resistance: Roles of Fatty Acid Metabolism and Exercise Physical Therapy, November 1, 2008; 88(11): 1279 - 1296. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
T. N Hilton, L. J Tuttle, K. L Bohnert, M. J Mueller, and D. R Sinacore Excessive Adipose Tissue Infiltration in Skeletal Muscle in Individuals With Obesity, Diabetes Mellitus, and Peripheral Neuropathy: Association With Performance and Function Physical Therapy, November 1, 2008; 88(11): 1336 - 1344. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
R. L Marcus, S. Smith, G. Morrell, O. Addison, L. E Dibble, D. Wahoff-Stice, and P. C LaStayo Comparison of Combined Aerobic and High-Force Eccentric Resistance Exercise With Aerobic Exercise Only for People With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Physical Therapy, November 1, 2008; 88(11): 1345 - 1354. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
C. S Kirkness, R. L Marcus, P. C LaStayo, C. V Asche, and J. M Fritz Diabetes and Associated Risk Factors in Patients Referred for Physical Therapy in a National Primary Care Electronic Medical Record Database Physical Therapy, November 1, 2008; 88(11): 1408 - 1416. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
M. J Mueller People With Diabetes: A Population Desperate for Movement Physical Therapy, November 1, 2008; 88(11): 1250 - 1253. [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS |