Figure 1.

Obesity, free fatty acids, and insulin resistance. A diagrammatic representation showing the role of obesity in metabolic dysregulation via the release of inflammatory cytokines, oxidative stress, and lipotoxicity. Secretion of FFA and proinflammatory cytokines results in ROS/oxidative stress-mediated JNK activation. Inflammatory cytokines cause low-grade inflammation in peripheral organs and induce type 2 diabetes. Similarly, chronic FFA treatment induces insulin resistance and beta-cell dysfunction and causes type 2 diabetes. ROS: reactive oxygen species; RNS: reactive nitrosative stress; FFA: free fatty acid; ER: endoplasmic reticulum.