脂肪組織と脂肪細胞の基礎形態学

Basic morphology of adipose tissue and adipocyte types

脂肪組織は褐色脂肪組織と白色脂肪組織よりなる．褐色脂肪組織は多房性の脂肪滴を有し，UCP-1を介して熱産生を行う褐色脂肪細胞よりなり，エネルギー消費臓器である．白色脂肪組織は大型の単房性脂肪滴を有し，アディポカインを産生する成熟脂肪細胞からなり，エネルギー貯蔵，内分泌臓器である．本稿では，その形態・機能・分化系列の相違を概説する．さらに，白色脂肪組織の増加を基盤とする肥満，メタボリックシンドロームの病態を理解するための白色脂肪組織の病理形態学を概説する．

Adipose tissue consists of both brown and white adipose tissue types.　Brown adipose tissue that has heat-producing brown adipocytes with multilocular lipid droplets and UCP-1 expression is an energy-consuming organ.　White adipose tissue that has adipokine-producing mature adipocytes with a large unilocular lipid droplet is an energy-storing and endocrine organ.　Here we review the differences between brown and white adipocytes in terms of the morphology, function and differentiating lineage.　To better understand the increased white adipose tissue-based both obesity and metabolic syndrome, we also summarize the pathophysiology of white adipose tissue, focusing upon its structure.