Skip to main content
. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2012 Jun 25.
Published in final edited form as: Annu Rev Pathol. 2011;6:275–297. doi: 10.1146/annurev-pathol-011110-130138

Figure 4. Functional differences between lean and obese adipose tissue.

Figure 4

Adipose tissue from lean individuals comprises small, insulin-sensitive adipocytes that secrete large amounts of insulin-sensitizing adipokines under the influence of alternatively (M2)-biased adipose tissue macrophages (ATMs). In contrast, adipose tissue from obese individuals displays an expanded and prominently classically (M1)-biased population of ATMs, which secrete a variety of potent inflammatory mediators, together with hypertrophic, insulin-resistant adipocytes.