Polyamine metabolism and obesity: Polyamine metabolic enzymes involved in obesity

The natural polyamines, putrescine, spermidine and spermine are distributed widely in all cells including adipocytes. They are involved in several physiological processes involving gene expression and cell proliferation. The body pool of polyamines is maintained by endogenous biosynthesis, intestinal microorganisms and the diet. A correlation between fat metabolism and polyamine metabolism has been reported in several studies. It was shown that the inhibition of polyamine metabolism enzymes had been associated with increased adipose tissue and weight gain in human and animal models. Ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) and S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase (AdoMetDC) are anabolic enzymes; and spermidine/ spermine N1-acetyltransferase (SSAT) and polyamine oxidase (PAO) are catabolic enzymes which regulate polyamine homoeostasis. Genetically altered polyamine metabolic enzymes resulted in higher tissue adipose content and weight gain indicating potential links between obesity and polyamine metabolism. This review aims to provide details on previously reported sources of data published on polyamine metabolism and obesity.