Microglial adipobiology: a new concept for understanding the adipose tissue-brain crosstalk in health and disease

Abstract

This article proposes the concept of "microglial adipobiology" as a new theoretical framework for the crosstalk between the adipose tissue and the central nervous system in health and disease. It reviews an important mechanistic link, explaining the neuropsychiatric complications of obesity, including the role of adipose-secreted signaling proteins (adipokines) and adipose-derived stem cells in influencing microglial function and neuroinflammation. An increasing body of evidence suggests that neuroinflammation mediated by microglia, macrophage-like cells in the brain, plays a contributory role in the pathogenesis of various neurodegenerative diseases. The specific positive and negative effects of the major types of dietary fats are also discussed in the case of obesogenic and ketogenic diets. Furthermore, it explores the effects of microglial cells on adipose tissue via modulating the central control of energy homeostasis in the hypothalamus and proposes the concept of "transgenerational adipobiology" as a framework explaining the neurological and metabolic complications of the offspring of obese mothers. Finally, potential directions for future therapeutic interventions are considered.