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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2016 Nov 24.
Published in final edited form as: Semin Immunol. 2015 Nov 24;27(5):315–321. doi: 10.1016/j.smim.2015.10.005

Figure 1. Inflammatory cascades that contribute to adipocyte dysfunction.

Figure 1

Diets high in saturated fatty acids, when consumed in a state of chronic caloric excess, contribute to adipocyte dysfunction. While healthy adipocytes are insulin-sensitive and have low levels of basal lipolysis, adipocytes that reach their lipid-storage limit and/or are exposed to chronically elevated levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines may exhibit the dysfunctions listed above. Chronic overnutrition also disrupts the balance of immunocyte populations present in adipose tissue. A possible contributing pathway involves diet-induced alterations in gut symbionts that, through yet unclear mechanisms, triggers pathologic adipose tissue inflammation.