N TURNER and others Fatty acids and insulin action 220:2 T61–T79 Thematic Review Fatty acid metabolism, energy expenditure and insulin resistance in muscle Nigel Turner1,2, Gregory J Cooney3,4, Edward W Kraegen2,3 and Clinton R Bruce5 1Department of Pharmacology and 2School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia Correspondence 3Diabetes and Obesity Division, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, 384 Victoria Street, Darlinghurst, should be addressed New South Wales 2010, Australia to G J Cooney 4St Vincent’s Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia Email 5Department of Physiology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
[email protected] Abstract Fatty acids (FAs) are essential elements of all cells and have significant roles as energy Key Words substrates, components of cellular structure and signalling molecules. The storage of excess " fatty acid metabolism energy intake as fat in adipose tissue is an evolutionary advantage aimed at protecting " fatty acids and energy against starvation, but in much of today’s world, humans are faced with an unlimited expenditure availability of food, and the excessive accumulation of fat is now a major risk for human " muscle insulin resistance health, especially the development of type 2 diabetes (T2D). Since the first recognition of the association between fat accumulation, reduced insulin action and increased risk of T2D, several mechanisms have been proposed to link excess FA availability to reduced insulin Journal of Endocrinology action, with some of them being competing or contradictory. This review summarises the evidence for these mechanisms in the context of excess dietary FAs generating insulin resistance in muscle, the major tissue involved in insulin-stimulated disposal of blood glucose.