Impaired Fibroblast Growth Factor 21 (FGF21) Associated with Visceral Adiposity Leads to Insulin Resistance: The Core Defect in Diabetes Mellitus.

Abstract

The Central nervous system (CNS) is the prime regulator of signaling pathways whose function includes regulation of food intake (consumption), energy expenditure, and other metabolic responses like glycolysis, gluconeogenesis, fatty acid oxidation, and thermogenesis that have been implicated in chronic inflammatory disorders. Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and obesity are two metabolic disorders that are linked together and have become an epidemic worldwide, thus raising significant public health concerns. Fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) is an endocrine hormone with pleiotropic metabolic effects that increase insulin sensitivity and energy expenditure by elevating thermogenesis in brown or beige adipocytes, thus reducing body weight and sugar intake. In contrast, during starvation conditions, FGF21 induces its expression in the liver to initiate glucose homeostasis. Insulin resistance is one of the main anomalies caused by impaired FGF21 signaling, which also causes abnormal regulation of other signaling pathways. Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), the cytokine released by adipocytes and inflammatory cells in response to chronic inflammation, is regarded major factor that reduces the expression of FGF21 and modulates underlying insulin resistance that causes imbalanced glucose homeostasis. This review aims to shed light on the mechanisms underlying the development of insulin resistance in obese individuals as well as the fundamental flaw in type 2 diabetes, which is malfunctioning obese adipose tissue.