New evaluations of redox regulating system in adipose tissue of obesity

During the past several decades, the incidence of obesity has significantly increased worldwide. Enormous efforts have been devoted to understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying obesity and its related metabolic disorders such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, atherosclerosis, and hypertension. It is now well-established that altered adipocyte metabolism in obese patients is closely associated with the induction of various metabolic stresses including hyperglycemia, hyperlipidemia, hyperinsulinemia, and chronic inflammation. However, the cellular factor(s) which sense metabolic changes and/or initiate the pathological progression of obesity-induced metabolic disorders remain to be elucidated. In this review, we will discuss the possible roles of cellular NADP+/NADPH, which function as redox potential regulators, in the induction of obesity-associated oxidative stress, chronic inflammation, and insulin resistance and suggest G6PD, a NADPH-generating enzyme, as a novel target for treating metabolic disorders.