Muscle Lipid Metabolism: Role of Lipid Droplets and Perilipins

J Diabetes Res. 2017:2017:1789395. doi: 10.1155/2017/1789395. Epub 2017 Jun 6.

Abstract

Skeletal muscle is one of the main regulators of carbohydrate and lipid metabolism in our organism, and therefore, it is highly susceptible to changes in glucose and fatty acid (FA) availability. Skeletal muscle is an extremely complex tissue: its metabolic capacity depends on the type of fibers it is made up of and the level of stimulation it undergoes, such as acute or chronic contraction. Obesity is often associated with increased FA levels, which leads to the accumulation of toxic lipid intermediates, oxidative stress, and autophagy in skeletal fibers. This lipotoxicity is one of the most common causes of insulin resistance (IR). In this scenario, the "isolation" of certain lipids in specific cell compartments, through the action of the specific lipid droplet, perilipin (PLIN) family of proteins, is conceived as a lifeguard compensatory strategy. In this review, we summarize the cellular mechanism underlying lipid mobilization and metabolism inside skeletal muscle, focusing on the function of lipid droplets, the PLIN family of proteins, and how these entities are modified in exercise, obesity, and IR conditions.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Autophagy / physiology
  • Fatty Acids / metabolism*
  • Lipid Droplets / metabolism*
  • Lipid Metabolism / physiology*
  • Muscle, Skeletal / metabolism*
  • Oxidative Stress / physiology
  • Perilipins / metabolism*

Substances

  • Fatty Acids
  • Perilipins