巨噬细胞具有显著的吞噬能力，是主要的固有免疫效应细胞，其包括中性粒细胞及树突状细胞。最近研究表明巨噬细胞在免疫平衡中起到重要作用。许多组织中都存在巨噬细胞，在这些组织里巨噬细胞起着对代谢信号做出反应、产生免疫调节物的前体或抗体以调节代谢的作用。通常的一些代谢产物，如脂肪酸、胆固醇及神经酰胺，可以通过病原体识别信号通路发生炎症反应，涉及到在现代社会营养过剩的条件下固有免疫系统和巨噬细胞不能协调调节代谢压力。这种不协调引起的是一系列的前馈反应，导致过度的免疫反应以及代谢病理的积累，包括胰岛素抵抗、脂肪肝、动脉粥样硬化与血脂异常。本篇综述主要是关于巨噬细胞在代谢性疾病所起到的作用，以及代谢压力引起的巨噬细胞活化所涉及的信号通路。了解巨噬细胞在这些过程中所起的作用可以有助于建立一些针对代谢综合征引起的损伤的治疗方法。

 Role and function of macrophages in the metabolic syndrome
Macrophages are key innate immune effector cells best known for their role as professional phagocytes, which also include neutrophils and dendritic cells. Recent evidence indicates that macrophages are also key players in metabolic homoeostasis. Macrophages can be found in many tissues, where they respond to metabolic cues and produce pro- and/or anti- inflammatory mediators to modulate metabolite programmes. Certainmetabolites, such as fatty acids, ceramides and cholesterol crystals, elicit inflammatory responses through pathogen-sensing signalling pathways, implicating a maladaptation of macrophages and the innate immune systemto elevatedmetabolic stress associated with overnutrition in modern societies. The outcome of this maladaptation is a feedforward inflammatory response leading to a state of unresolved inflammation and a collection of metabolic pathologies, including insulin resistance, fatty liver, atherosclerosis and dyslipidaemia. The present review summarizes what is known about the contributions of macrophages to metabolic diseases and the signalling pathways that are involved in metabolic stress-induced macrophage activation. Understanding the role of macrophages in these processes will help us to develop therapies against detrimental effects of the metabolic syndrome.

链接： http://www.biochemj.org/bj/442/0253/bj4420253.htm