In recent years, the simple paradigm of adipose tissue as merely a fat store is rapidly evolving into a complex paradigm of this tissue as multipotential secretory organ, partitioned into a few large depots, including visceral and subcutaneous location, and many small depots, associated with a variety of organs in the human body. The major secretory compartment of adipose tissue consists of adipocytes, fibroblasts, and mast cells. These cells, using endocrine, paracrine and autocrine pathways, secrete multiple bioactive molecules, conceptualized as adipokines or adipocytokines. This review examines current information in adipobiology of various diseases besides obesity and related diseases such as type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and cardiovascular disease. Finally, we emphasize the possibilities for adipokine-targeted pharmacology in adiponectin (Acrp30, apM1, AdipoQ, GBP28), angiotensin II, estrogens, nerve growth factor, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, and also adipose mast cells.

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Nerve growth factor (NGF) is a signaling molecule, originally discovered for its role on differentiation and survival of peripheral sensory and sympathetic neurons. It has also been associated with functional activities of cells of the immune and endocrine systems. NGF biological activity is mediated by two classes of receptors: (i) p75 neurotrophin receptor (p75(NTR)), a 75 kDa glycoprotein, belonging to a superfamily of cytokine receptors including TNF receptors, and (ii) TrkA, a transmembrane tyrosine kinase of 140 kDa. Both TrkA and p75(NTR) are known to play a marked action in neurodegenerative disorders, immune-related deficits, and neuroendocrine (including adipoendocrine) mechanisms. This review focuses on these cellular events and presents a working model which attempts to explain the close interrelationships of the neuro-endocrine-immune triad via a modulatory action of NGF.

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