| The wealth of clinical epidemiological data on the association between intra-abdominal fat accumulation and morbidity sharply contrasts with the paucity of knowledge about the determinants of fat distribution, which cannot be explained merely in terms of humoral factors. If it comes to neuronal control, until now, adipose tissue was reported to be innervated by the sympathetic nervous system only, known for its catabolic effect. We hypothesized the presence of a parasympathetic input stimulating anabolic processes in adipose tissue. Using neuroanatomical and physiological techniques, we investigate the parasympathetic innervation of white adipose tissue and describe its anabolic effects on metabolic and endocrine function. Moreover, we hypothesize that autonomic motor neurons target either intra-abdominal or subcutaneous fat. A somatotopic organization in the central nervous system may represent a neuroanatomical substrate for the determination of fat distribution in physiology and pathophysiology |
