TY - JOUR
T1 - Epicardial adipose tissue
T2 - Emerging physiological, pathophysiological and clinical features
AU - Iacobellis, Gianluca
AU - Bianco, Antonio C.
PY - 2011/11
Y1 - 2011/11
N2 - Epicardial adipose tissue is an unusual visceral fat depot with anatomical and functional contiguity to the myocardium and coronary arteries. Under physiological conditions, epicardial adipose tissue displays biochemical, mechanical and thermogenic cardioprotective properties. Under pathological circumstances, epicardial fat can locally affect the heart and coronary arteries through vasocrine or paracrine secretion of proinflammatory cytokines. What influences this equilibrium remains unclear. Improved local vascularization, weight loss, and targeted pharmaceutical interventions could help to return epicardial fat to its physiological role. This review focuses on the emerging physiological and pathophysiological aspects of the epicardial fat and its numerous and innovative clinical applications. Particular emphasis is placed on the paracrine/endocrine properties of epicardial fat and its role in the development and progression of atherosclerosis.
AB - Epicardial adipose tissue is an unusual visceral fat depot with anatomical and functional contiguity to the myocardium and coronary arteries. Under physiological conditions, epicardial adipose tissue displays biochemical, mechanical and thermogenic cardioprotective properties. Under pathological circumstances, epicardial fat can locally affect the heart and coronary arteries through vasocrine or paracrine secretion of proinflammatory cytokines. What influences this equilibrium remains unclear. Improved local vascularization, weight loss, and targeted pharmaceutical interventions could help to return epicardial fat to its physiological role. This review focuses on the emerging physiological and pathophysiological aspects of the epicardial fat and its numerous and innovative clinical applications. Particular emphasis is placed on the paracrine/endocrine properties of epicardial fat and its role in the development and progression of atherosclerosis.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=82455199186&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=82455199186&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.tem.2011.07.003
DO - 10.1016/j.tem.2011.07.003
M3 - Review article
C2 - 21852149
AN - SCOPUS:82455199186
SN - 1043-2760
VL - 22
SP - 450
EP - 457
JO - Trends in Endocrinology and Metabolism
JF - Trends in Endocrinology and Metabolism
IS - 11
ER -