Abstract
Obesity is a multifactorial disease related to metabolic disorders and associated with genetic determinants. Currently, ion channels activity has been linked to many of these disorders, in addition to the central regulation of food intake, energetic balance, hormone release and response, as well as the adipocyte cell proliferation. Therefore, the objective of this work is to review the current knowledge about the influence of ion channels in obesity development. This review used different sources of literature (Google Scholar, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science) to assess the role of ion channels in the pathophysiology of obesity. Ion channels present diverse key functions, such as the maintenance of physiological homeostasis and cell proliferation. Cell biology and pharmacological experimental evidences demonstrate that proliferating cells exhibit ion channel expression, conductance, and electrical properties different from the resting cells. Thereby, a large variety of ion channels has been identified in the pathogenesis of obesity such as potassium, sodium, calcium and chloride channels, nicotinic acetylcholine receptor and transient receptor potential channels. The fundamental involvement of these channels on the generation of obesity leads to the progress in the knowledge about the mechanisms responsible for the obesity pathophysiology, consequently emerging as new targets for pharmacological modulation.
Highlights
Obesity is an important disease associated to the excessive accumulation of body fat, leading to weight gain and the development of chronic disorders, including arterial hypertension, type 2 diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemias, sleep apnea, and cancer (Jeffreys et al, 2003; Van Gaal et al, 2006; Pischon et al, 2008; Whitlock et al, 2009; Vucenik and Stains, 2012; Singh et al, 2013)
The arcuate nucleus (ARC) in the mediobasal hypothalamus contains different types of neurons correlated to the expression of orexigenic peptides, such as neuropeptide Y (NPY) and agouti-related peptide (AgRP), which stimulate food intake and reduce the body energy expenditure
The surgery for weight reduction is recommended for patients with severe obesity (BMI > 35 kg/m2) in the presence of comorbidities, or individuals with a body mass index (BMI) > 40 kg/m2 in the absence of comorbidities (National Institutes of Health [NIH], 2000)
Summary
Obesity is an important disease associated to the excessive accumulation of body fat, leading to weight gain and the development of chronic disorders, including arterial hypertension, type 2 diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemias, sleep apnea, and cancer (Jeffreys et al, 2003; Van Gaal et al, 2006; Pischon et al, 2008; Whitlock et al, 2009; Vucenik and Stains, 2012; Singh et al, 2013). It affects 35% of adults aged 20+ with a rising prevalence (World Health Organization [WHO], 2014). Regardless of its cause, the body weight results from a complex interaction between physio- and psychological components that control food intake and energy expenditure (Martinez, 2000)
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