AUTHOR=White Ursula TITLE=Adipose tissue expansion in obesity, health, and disease JOURNAL=Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology VOLUME=11 YEAR=2023 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/cell-and-developmental-biology/articles/10.3389/fcell.2023.1188844 DOI=10.3389/fcell.2023.1188844 ISSN=2296-634X ABSTRACT=

White adipose tissue (WAT) expands under physiological conditions via an increase in adipocyte size (hypertrophy) and/or number (hyperplasia; adipogenesis), and the ability of WAT to expand to accommodate energy demands is a significant determinant of metabolic health status. Obesity is associated with impaired WAT expansion and remodeling, which results in the deposition of lipids to other non-adipose organs, leading to metabolic derangements. Although increased hyperplasia has been implicated as a cornerstone in promoting healthy WAT expansion, recent developments suggest that the role of adipogenesis as a contributing factor in the transition from impaired subcutaneous WAT expansion to impaired metabolic health remains up for debate. This mini-review will summarize recent developments and highlight emerging concepts on the features of WAT expansion and turnover, and the significance in obesity, health, and disease.