Resumen

MARTINEZ SAMANO, Jesús; TORRES DURAN, Patricia Victoria  y  JUAREZ OROPEZA, Marco Antonio. Fatty acids and lipotoxicity: metabolic implications. Rev. Fac. Med. (Méx.) [online]. 2013, vol.56, n.1, pp.05-18. ISSN 2448-4865.

Obesity is a major public health problem, Mexico is in first place in terms of prevalence and incidence, in adults is the main risk factor for developing insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes mellitus and its complications. Central fat excess, results in an increase in basal lipolysis with subsequent release of fatty acids into the bloodstream, to reach their target cells, this fatty acids are taken by the cells to be metabolized. The increase in intracellular fatty acids results in the activation of non-oxidative metabolic pathways, such as the formation of ceramides, lysosomal degradation, pattern recognition receptors activation and endoplasmic reticulum stress generation. The endoplasmatic reticulum stress results in activation of signaling pathways associated with programmed cell death activation. This increase in apoptosis is characteristic of diseases associated with ectopic fatty acids deposition in tissues, such non alcoholic steatohepatitis, β-pancreatic cell dysfunction and cardiotoxicity. Understanding these mechanisms is mandatory to start measures aimed at controlling weight and its complications.

Palabras llave : Fatty acids; obesity; lipoapoptosis; methabolic syndrome.