MicroRNAs regulating pathophysiological processes in obesity: the impact of exercise training

Abstract

Obesity is a multicausal metabolic disease. The increase in adipose tissue occurs due to hypertrophy and hyperplasia of adipose cells. As a result of these processes, an increase in inflammation will occur, promoting apoptosis, necrosis, and fibrosis of fat cells. However, the pathophysiological mechanisms involved in these processes are poorly understood. Thus, an important class of post-transcriptional gene regulators, known as microRNAs (miRNAs), has been gaining prominence for involvement in obesity. Exercise training has been described both for generating benefits in obesity and for influencing the expression of miRNAs in various types of diseases. However, the molecular mechanisms linked to exercise-regulated miRNAs in obesity still need to be better elucidated. Therefore, this review summarizes the miRNAs implicated in obesity and exercise-regulated miRNAs involved in the pathophysiological processes in obesity.