Le tissu adipeux : un organe aux ressources insoupçonnées

The research on adipose tissue (AT) and its major constituent, the adipocyte, reveals that AT, the major energy reservoir of the body, also possesses diversifi ed functions. The adipocyte secretes hormones and various paracrine factors which assure him unsuspected capacities of dialogue with the other organs and tissues. The redefi ning of the links between white AT and brown AT has reintroduced a refl ection on their respective physiological functions. The nature of fat cell progenitors and their role in the control of the renewal rate of AT in initiation of functional pathologies related to disturbances in the expandability of AT have been specifi ed with a special attention for the infi ltration of immune cells. The study of progenitors revealed that the AT is also a reservoir of regenerative cells particularly promising. Moreover, the TA captures and sequesters many persistent organic pollutants and is likely to play a buffer role in the exposure to environmental agents.