Abstract
Sex hormones contribute to differences between males and females in body fat distribution and associated disease risk. Higher concentrations of estrogens are associated with a more gynoid body shape and with more fat storage on hips and thighs rather than in visceral depots. Estrogen-mediated protection against visceral adiposity is shown in post-menopausal women with lower levels of estrogens and the reduction in central body fat observed after treatment with hormone-replacement therapy. Estrogen exerts its physiological effects via the estrogen receptors (ERα, ERβ and GPR30) in target cells, including adipocytes. Studies in mice indicate that estrogen protects against adipose inflammation and fibrosis also before the onset of obesity. The mechanisms involved in estrogen-dependent body fat distribution are incompletely understood, but involve, e.g., increased mTOR signaling and suppression of autophagy and adipogenesis/lipid storage. Estrogen plays a key role in epigenetic regulation of adipogenic genes by interacting with enzymes that remodel DNA methylation and histone tail post-translational modifications. However, more studies are needed to map the differential epigenetic effects of ER in different adipocyte subtypes, including those in subcutaneous and visceral adipose tissues. We here review recent discoveries of ER-mediated transcriptional and epigenetic regulation in adipocytes, which may explain sexual dimorphisms in body fat distribution and obesity-related disease risk.
Highlights
Sexual dimorphism in obesity and related cardiometabolic risk involves differences in fat distribution [1, 2], described by Vague already in 1947 [3]
Much has been learned about how metabolic processes differ by sex and how estrogen affects developmental, metabolic and epigenetic processes, including adipogenesis and the fate of adipocyte progenitor cells towards thermogenic brown/beige or white fat cells
In the research performed by Pedersen et al, Santos et al and Zhou et al [34, 64, 70], an effort has been made to differentiate the mechanism of estrogen signaling in different subtypes of adipocytes
Summary
Jan-Inge Bjune 1,2†‡, Pouda Panahandeh Strømland 1†‡, Regine Åsen Jersin 1,2‡, Gunnar Mellgren 1,2 and Simon Nitter Dankel 1,2*. Sex hormones contribute to differences between males and females in body fat distribution and associated disease risk. Higher concentrations of estrogens are associated with a more gynoid body shape and with more fat storage on hips and thighs rather than in visceral depots. Estrogen-mediated protection against visceral adiposity is shown in post-menopausal women with lower levels of estrogens and the reduction in central body fat observed after treatment with hormone-replacement therapy. Studies in mice indicate that estrogen protects against adipose inflammation and fibrosis before the onset of obesity. More studies are needed to map the differential epigenetic effects of ER in different adipocyte subtypes, including those in subcutaneous and visceral adipose tissues. We here review recent discoveries of ERmediated transcriptional and epigenetic regulation in adipocytes, which may explain sexual dimorphisms in body fat distribution and obesity-related disease risk
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
