scholarly journals Recent advances in our understanding of brown and beige adipose tissue: the good fat that keeps you healthy

F1000Research ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. 1129 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael E. Symonds ◽  
Peter Aldiss ◽  
Mark Pope ◽  
Helen Budge
Keyword(s):  
Adipose Tissue ◽  
Thermal Environment ◽  
Uncoupling Protein ◽  
White Adipocytes ◽  
Brown Adipose ◽  
Adult Humans ◽  
Beige Fat ◽  
Rapid Generation ◽  
Beige Adipose Tissue ◽  
Shivering Thermogenesis

Brown adipose tissue (BAT) possesses a unique uncoupling protein (UCP1) which, when activated, enables the rapid generation of heat and the oxidation of lipids or glucose or both. It is present in small amounts (~15–350 mL) in adult humans. UCP1 is rapidly activated at birth and is essential in preventing hypothermia in newborns, who rapidly generate large amounts of heat through non-shivering thermogenesis. Since the “re-discovery” of BAT in adult humans about 10 years ago, there has been an exceptional amount of research interest. This has been accompanied by the establishment of beige fat, characterised as discrete areas of UCP1-containing cells dispersed within white adipocytes. Typically, the amount of UCP1 in these depots is around 10% of the amount found in classic BAT. The abundance of brown/beige fat is reduced with obesity, and the challenge is to prevent its loss with ageing or to reactivate existing depots or both. This is difficult, as the current gold standard for assessing BAT function in humans measures radio-labelled glucose uptake in the fasted state and is usually dependent on cold exposure and the same subject can be found to exhibit both positive and negative scans with repeated scanning. Rodent studies have identified multiple pathways that may modulate brown/beige fat function, but their direct relevance to humans is constrained, as these studies typically are undertaken in cool-adapted animals. BAT remains a challenging organ to study in humans and is able to swiftly adapt to changes in the thermal environment and thus enable rapid changes in heat production and glucose oxidation.

Brown adipose tissue uncoupling protein in adult humans

1986 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 289-290 ◽  
Author(s):  
MICHAEL E. J. LEAN ◽  
W. PHILIP T. JAMES ◽  
GRAHAM JENNINGS ◽  
PAUL TRAYHURN
Keyword(s):  
Adipose Tissue ◽  
Brown Adipose Tissue ◽  
Uncoupling Protein ◽  
Brown Adipose ◽  
Adult Humans

scholarly journals Current Progress in Adipose Tissue Biology: Implications in Obesity and Its Comorbidities

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 85-101
Author(s):  
Anna Meiliana ◽  
Nurrani Mustika Dewi ◽  
Andi Wijaya
Keyword(s):  
Adipose Tissue ◽  
White Adipose Tissue ◽  
Uncoupling Protein ◽  
Common Factor ◽  
Peroxisome Proliferator ◽  
Peroxisome Proliferator Activated Receptor ◽  
Protein Levels ◽  
Brown Adipose ◽  
Key Factor ◽  
Beige Fat

BACKGROUND: Obesity has been decades become a highly interest study, accompanied by the realization that adipose tissue (AT) plays a major role in the regulation of metabolic function.CONTENT: In past few years, adipocytes classification, development, and differentiation has been significant changes. The white adipose tissue (WAT) can transform to a phenotype like brown adipose (BAT) type and function. Exercise and cold induction were the most common factor for fat browning; however batokines such as fibroblast growth factor (FGF)-21, interleukin (IL)-6, Slit homolog 2 protein (SLIT2)-C, and Meteorin-like protein (METRNL) perform a beneficial browning action by increasing peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator (PGC)-1α protein levels, a key factor to stimulate mitochondrial biogenesis and uncoupling Protein 1 (UCP1) transcription, thus change the WAT phenotype into beige.SUMMARY: AT recently known as a complex organ, not only bearing a storage function but as well as the master regulator of energy balance and nutritional homeostasis; brown and beige fat express constitutively high levels of thermogenic genes and raise our expectation on new strategies for fighting obesity and metabolic disorders.KEYWORDS: obesity, white adipose tissue, brown adipose tissue, beige adipose tissue, inflammation, IR, metabolic disease

scholarly journals Multifaceted Roles of Beige Fat in Energy Homeostasis Beyond UCP1

Endocrinology ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 159 (7) ◽  
pp. 2545-2553 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlos Henrique Sponton ◽  
Shingo Kajimura
Keyword(s):  
Adipose Tissue ◽  
Energy Homeostasis ◽  
Uncoupling Protein ◽  
Developmental Regulation ◽  
Brown Adipocytes ◽  
Adipose Tissue Depots ◽  
Brown Adipose ◽  
Beige Adipocytes ◽  
Beige Fat ◽  
Adipose Cells

Abstract Beige adipocytes are an inducible form of thermogenic adipose cells that emerge within the white adipose tissue in response to a variety of environmental stimuli, such as chronic cold acclimation. Similar to brown adipocytes that reside in brown adipose tissue depots, beige adipocytes are also thermogenic; however, beige adipocytes possess unique, distinguishing characteristics in their developmental regulation and biological function. This review highlights recent advances in our understanding of beige adipocytes, focusing on the diverse roles of beige fat in the regulation of energy homeostasis that are independent of the canonical thermogenic pathway via uncoupling protein 1.

scholarly journals SUN-584 Micrornas in Brown and White Adipocytes

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Federica Dimitri ◽  
Mohammad T Alam ◽  
Lea Dib ◽  
Mark Christian
Keyword(s):  
Adipose Tissue ◽  
Energy Homeostasis ◽  
Uncoupling Protein ◽  
Cell Communication ◽  
Target Prediction ◽  
Surface Proteins ◽  
White Adipocytes ◽  
A Disintegrin And Metalloproteinase ◽  
Extracellular Environment ◽  
Shivering Thermogenesis

Abstract Two types of adipose tissue exist: white (WAT) and brown (BAT). WAT stores energy while BAT consumes fatty acids and produces heat by non-shivering thermogenesis through Uncoupling Protein 1 (UCP1). BAT and WAT cooperate in maintaining energy homeostasis balance. Understanding their physiology is important for the development of treatments against diseases where this equilibrium is compromised, such as obesity and associated metabolic disorders. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are potent gene regulators and an increasing body of evidence suggests their involvement in adipogenesis and adipose metabolism. MiRNAs can also be secreted into the extracellular environment and be taken up by distal cells, mediating cell-to-cell communication. However, very little is known about adipose tissue-derived circulating miRNAs. Through miRNA PCR array analysis we identified several miRNAs that are differentially secreted among undifferentiated and differentiated brown and white adipocytes, such as miR-196a, 378a-3p and miR-138-5p. Bioinformatics target prediction revealed that these miRNAs are potentially involved in important processes regulating the functioning of adipose tissue and its cross-talk with distal cells. Among the predicted targets of miR-196a, we identified ADAM10 (A Disintegrin And Metalloproteinase Domain-containing protein 10). This protein is responsible for the proteolytic release of several cell-surface proteins involved in numerous biological processes such as inflammation and its role could be of relevant importance in the physiopathology of the adipose tissues.

scholarly journals Brown adipose tissue development and function and its impact on reproduction

2018 ◽  
Vol 238 (1) ◽  
pp. R53-R62 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael E Symonds ◽  
Peter Aldiss ◽  
Neele Dellschaft ◽  
James Law ◽  
Hernan P Fainberg ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Adipose Tissue ◽  
Brown Adipose Tissue ◽  
Heat Production ◽  
Maternal Obesity ◽  
Thermal Environment ◽  
Uncoupling Protein ◽  
The Body ◽  
Substantial Impact ◽  
Brown Adipose ◽  
Fat Depot

Although brown adipose tissue (BAT) is one of the smallest organs in the body, it has the potential to have a substantial impact on both heat production as well as fat and carbohydrate metabolism. This is most apparent at birth, which is characterised with the rapid appearance and activation of the BAT specific mitochondrial uncoupling protein (UCP)1 in many large mammals. The amount of brown fat then gradually declines with age, an adaptation that can be modulated by the thermal environment. Given the increased incidence of maternal obesity and its potential transmission to the mother’s offspring, increasing BAT activity in the mother could be one mechanism to prevent this cycle. To date, however, all rodent studies investigating maternal obesity have been conducted at standard laboratory temperature (21°C), which represents an appreciable cold challenge. This could also explain why offspring weight is rarely increased, suggesting that future studies would benefit from being conducted at thermoneutrality (~28°C). It is also becoming apparent that each fat depot has a unique transcriptome and show different developmental pattern, which is not readily apparent macroscopically. These differences could contribute to the retention of UCP1 within the supraclavicular fat depot, the most active depot in adult humans, increasing heat production following a meal. Despite the rapid increase in publications on BAT over the past decade, the extent to which modifications in diet and/or environment can be utilised to promote its activity in the mother and/or her offspring remains to be established.

Brown adipose tissue development in the ovine foetus during the final month of gestation

1992 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
pp. 174-175
Author(s):  
L. Clarke ◽  
S. van de Waal ◽  
M. A. Lomax ◽  
M. E. Symonds
Keyword(s):  
Adipose Tissue ◽  
Brown Adipose Tissue ◽  
Uncoupling Protein ◽  
Mitochondrial Protein ◽  
Brown Adipose ◽  
Adipose Tissue Development ◽  
Lamb Growth ◽  
Shivering Thermogenesis ◽  
Thermogenic Capacity

In the ovine foetus brown adipose tissue (BAT) is mainly found in the perirenal region and grows rapidly relative to body weight between 70 to 120 days of gestation (Alexander, 1978). After this stage only a small amount of BAT growth occurs in comparison with that of the whole foetus, and in the case of undernutrition may decline (Alexander, 1978). Maternal cold stress, induced by winter shearing twin-bearing pregnant ewes 8 weeks before parturition improves lamb birth weight and lamb growth rate independently of effects on maternal food intake (Symonds, Bryant and Lomax, 1986 and 1990). At the same time this can stimulate the in vivo capacity for non-shivering thermogenesis in newborn lambs (Stott and Slee, 1985). The following study extends these findings by investigating the extent to which changing the maternal metabolic environment influences BAT development over the final month of gestation.Thirty-two Bluefaced Leicester × Swaledale ewes were housed individually at ambient temperature (−6 to 19°C) 6 weeks prior to lambing and 2 weeks later 15 ewes were shorn. Ewes were offered daily a diet comprising 200 g barley concentrate and 1 kg chopped hay. Between 116 and 145 days of gestation and within 2 h of birth ewes were humanely slaughtered with an overdose of barbiturate and foetal or neonatal perirenal BAT sampled, born from shorn or unshorn ewes. The thermogenic capacity of BAT was assessed by guanosine-5′-diphosphate (GDP) binding to uncoupling protein in mitochondrial preparations (Cooper, Dascombe, Rothwell and Vale, 1989) and the amount of mitochondrial protein measured from cytochrome Coxidase activity.

scholarly journals Adipose tissue growth and development: the modulating role of ambient temperature

2021 ◽  
Vol 248 (1) ◽  
pp. R19-R28
Author(s):  
Michael E Symonds ◽  
Mark Pope ◽  
Ian Bloor ◽  
James Law ◽  
Reham Alagal ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Adipose Tissue ◽  
Ambient Temperature ◽  
Uncoupling Protein ◽  
Tissue Growth ◽  
Long Term Effects ◽  
Mitochondrial Uncoupling ◽  
Fat Depots ◽  
Brown Adipose ◽  
Beige Fat ◽  
And Function

Adipose tissue is usually laid down in small amounts in the foetus and is characterised as possessing small amounts of the brown adipose tissue-specific mitochondrial uncoupling protein (UCP)1. In adults, a primary factor determining the abundance and function of UCP1 is ambient temperature. Cold exposure causes activation and the rapid generation of heat through the free flow of protons across the mitochondria with no requirement to convert ADP to ATP. In rodents, housing at an ambient temperature below thermoneutrality promotes the appearance of beige like adipocytes. These arise as discrete regions of UCP1 containing cells in white fat depots. There is increasing evidence to show that to gain credible translational results on brown and beige fat function in rodent models that they should be housed at thermoneutrality. This not only reflects the type of environment in which humans spend a majority of their time, but is in accord with the rise of global temperature caused by industrialisation and the uncontrolled burning of fossil fuels. There is now good evidence in adult humans, that stimulating brown fat can improve glucose homeostasis which can be achieved either by nutritional or pharmacological interventions. The challenge, therefore, is to establish credible developmental models in animals maintained at thermoneutrality which will elucidate the true impact of nutrition. The primary focus should fall specifically on the components of breast milk and how these modulate long term effects on brown or beige fat development and function.

scholarly journals Direct detection of brown adipose tissue thermogenesis in UCP1−/− mice by hyperpolarized 129Xe MR thermometry

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael A. Antonacci ◽  
Christian McHugh ◽  
Michele Kelley ◽  
Andrew McCallister ◽  
Simone Degan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Adipose Tissue ◽  
Brown Adipose Tissue ◽  
Knockout Mice ◽  
Direct Detection ◽  
Uncoupling Protein ◽  
Core Body Temperature ◽  
Physiological Effect ◽  
Adrenergic Stimulation ◽  
Brown Adipose ◽  
Shivering Thermogenesis

Abstract Brown adipose tissue (BAT) is a type of fat specialized in non-shivering thermogenesis. While non-shivering thermogenesis is mediated primarily by uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1), the development of the UCP1 knockout mouse has enabled the study of possible UCP1-independent non-shivering thermogenic mechanisms, whose existence has been shown so far only indirectly in white adipose tissue and still continues to be a matter of debate in BAT. In this study, by using magnetic resonance thermometry with hyperpolarized xenon, we produce the first direct evidence of UCP1-independent BAT thermogenesis in knockout mice. We found that, following adrenergic stimulation, the BAT temperature of knockout mice increases more and faster than rectal temperature. While with this study we cannot exclude or separate the physiological effect of norepinephrine on core body temperature, the fast increase of iBAT temperature seems to suggest the existence of a possible UCP1-independent thermogenic mechanism responsible for this temperature increase.

Effect of fetal thyroidectomy on brown adipose tissue and thermoregulation in newborn lambs

1996 ◽  
Vol 8 (6) ◽  
pp. 995 ◽  
Author(s):  
SJ Schermer ◽  
JA Bird ◽  
MA Lomax ◽  
DA Shepherd ◽  
ME Symonds
Keyword(s):  
Adipose Tissue ◽  
Oxygen Consumption ◽  
Brown Adipose Tissue ◽  
Uncoupling Protein ◽  
Late Gestation ◽  
Guanosine Diphosphate ◽  
Functional Development ◽  
Brown Adipose ◽  
Colonic Temperature ◽  
Shivering Thermogenesis

The effect of fetal thyroidectomy on thermoregulation in newborn lambs was investigated. Seven of 14 lambs born normally at term were thyroidectomized at Day 127 of gestation. Colonic temperature and oxygen consumption were measured during non-rapid eye movement sleep 6-45 h after birth. All lambs were then killed and perirenal brown adipose tissue was sampled for measurement of thermogenic activity (guanosine diphosphate binding), uncoupling protein and lipid contents. Thyroidectomized lambs tended to have a mean colonic temperature 2.35 degrees C lower (P = 0.067) than controls and two became hypothermic (i.e. colonic temperature < 35 degrees C). Thyroidectomized lambs exhibited lower rates of oxygen consumption (P = 0.05) and an increased incidence of shivering thermogenesis. The perirenal adipose tissue of these lambs had a lower thermogenic activity (P < 0.01), less uncoupling protein (P < 0.01) and higher lipid content (P = 0.072) compared with intact controls. It is concluded that fetal thyroidectomy results in a decreased ability of newborn lambs to utilize nonshivering thermogenesis in brown adipose tissue as well as increasing the incidence of hypothermia. These changes are associated with decreased synthesis of uncoupling protein and functional development of brown adipose tissue in the late gestation fetus.

Brown adipose tissue. VI. Amount, location, extent, and correlation with nutritional status in adult humans

Biologia ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 65 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jozef Šidlo ◽  
Peter Kvasnička ◽  
Henrieta Šidlová ◽  
Milan Zaviačič
Keyword(s):  
Adipose Tissue ◽  
Nutritional Status ◽  
Brown Adipose Tissue ◽  
Large Fraction ◽  
Brown Adipose ◽  
Adult Humans ◽  
Males And Females ◽  
Status Differences ◽  
Shivering Thermogenesis ◽  
Quetelet Index

AbstractMultilocular brown adipose tissue (BAT) is a versatile endocrine tissue involved in non-shivering thermogenesis, mitochondrial biogenesis, extracellular matrix homeostasis and signalling, and hibernation in hibernating animals. This study investigated the correlations between the amount and extent of BAT and nutritional status in adult humans. Samples of adipose tissue from nine body locations were taken from 107 consecutive autopsies in males and females, fixed in formalin, processed by routine methods and stained with hematoxylin-eosin. Based on the Quetelet index as a measure of nutritional status, the cases were divided into three groups: hypotrophic, eutrophic and hypertrophic (obese). We found significant sex and nutritional status differences in the frequencies of BAT positive cases. While no dependence on nutritional status was found in women, the frequencies of BAT positive cases in men were significantly different (41% in hypotrophy, 82% in eutrophy, and 64% in hypertrophy, P = 0.032). The distribution of BAT positive samples among sampled adipose tissue locations (positives for location and category/total positives for the category) were sex-independent, and showed that in hypertrophic cases, a large fraction of BAT is located in the periadrenal region, in agreement with a previous study by other authors. The present study also shows clear correlations between nutritional status and amount and extent of BAT in adult humans.

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