Functional characterization of adenosinergic system in the progression of human adipose tissue dysfunction in obesity

• Main Author: Duro, Ana Francisca Carvalho de Menezes
• Publication Date: 2024
• Format: Master thesis
• Language: eng
• Source: Repositórios Científicos de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (RCAAP)
• Download full: http://hdl.handle.net/10362/177573
• topic: Obesity; Adenosine Receptors; Macrophages; Inflammation, Angiogenesis; Adipose Tissue; Ciências Médicas

Obesity, marked by excessive body fat accumulation, leads to significant changes in adipose tissue and contributes to various metabolic and inflammatory complications. Excess adipose tissue releases inflammatory cytokines and adipokines, exacerbating inflammation and leading to insulin resistance and associated metabolic disorders like type 2 diabetes. This project aimed to characterize the adenosinergic system in human adipose tissue across different obesity and metabolic stages, focusing on adenosine receptors expression, adenosine levels, inflammation, angiogenesis, macrophage infiltration, and BMI correlations. Techniques such as immunohistochemistry, PCR, and HPLC were used, followed by biostatistical analyses with SPSS, Qupath, GraphPad, and R Studio. Results indicated that increased obesity grades correspond with larger adipocytes, macrophage dysfunction and elevated formation of new blood vessels. Adenosine receptor levels were notably higher in Class II obesity, correlating with higher adenosine levels and suggesting a role in adipose tissue adaptation. The activation of A2A and A2B receptors was linked to inflammation and angiogenesis. These findings highlight that adenosine receptors do indeed correlate with inflammation, obesity (BMI) and angiogenesis. Modulation of adenosine receptors may be a promising therapeutic approach to treat obesity and its complications, by acting on both inflammation and angiogenesis.