Adipose tissue innervation is critical for regulating metabolic and energy homeostasis. While the sympathetic efferent innervation of fat is well characterized, the role of sensory or afferent innervation remains less explored. This article reviews previous work on adipose innervation and recent advances in the study of sensory innervation of adipose tissues. We discuss key open questions, including the physiological implications of adipose afferents in homeostasis as well as potential cross talk with sympathetic neurons, the immune system, and hormonal pathways. We also outline the general technical challenges of studying dorsal root ganglia innervating fat, along with emerging technologies that may overcome these barriers. Finally, we highlight areas for further research to deepen our understanding of the afferent function of adipose innervation.

中文翻译：

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脂肪神经支配的传入功能

脂肪组织神经支配对于调节代谢和能量稳态至关重要。虽然脂肪的交感传出神经支配已得到很好的表征，但感觉或传入神经支配的作用仍然很少被探索。本文回顾了脂肪神经支配的先前工作以及脂肪组织感觉神经支配研究的最新进展。我们讨论关键的开放性问题，包括脂肪传入对体内平衡的生理影响，以及与交感神经元、免疫系统和激素途径的潜在相互作用。我们还概述了研究支配脂肪的背根神经节的一般技术挑战，以及可以克服这些障碍的新兴技术。最后，我们强调了进一步研究的领域，以加深我们对脂肪神经支配传入功能的理解。