Abstract
The fat body in invertebrates was shown to participate in energy storage and homeostasis, apart from its other roles in immune mediation and protein synthesis to mention a few. Thus, sharing similar characteristics with the liver and adipose tissues in vertebrates. However, vertebrate adipose tissue or fat has been incriminated in the pathophysiology of metabolic disorders due to its role in production of pro-inflammatory cytokines. This has not been reported in the insect fat body. The link between the fat body and adipose tissue was examined in this review with the aim of determining the principal factors responsible for resistance to inflammation in the insect fat body. This could be the missing link in the prevention of metabolic disorders in vertebrates, occasioned by obesity.
Highlights
Living organisms, probably by virtue of limited resources for survival, are intuitionally wired with the ability to conserve available resources
It is amazing that the degree of sophistication in the process of conservation increases as the organism advances in the evolutionary tree
Though some extreme cases of survival without food have been documented, for example some species of penguins do not eat while incubating their eggs, which could be for several months
Summary
Probably by virtue of limited resources for survival, are intuitionally wired with the ability to conserve available resources. The fat body in insects, being analogous to the adipose tissues and liver in the vertebrates is the main organ involved in energy metabolism and the major storage site for glycogen, lipid, and protein in insects. Possible nexus between fat body metabolism and diseases The nexus between obesity, inflammation and insulin resistance As observed by Hoptamisligil [12], among the most critical processes to species survival are the ability to withstand starvation and the capacity to mount an effective immune response to pathogens The former selects for energy efficiency and favours the storage of excess calories when access to food is intermittent. The missing link in evaluation of the fat body in vertebrates Adipose tissue has been extensively studied, not just as a storage organ for lipids but as an energy sensor and in immune and inflammatory response mediation.
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