scholarly journals Brown adipose tissue: what have we learned since its recent identification in human adults

2014 ◽  
Vol 58 (9) ◽  
pp. 889-899 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bruno Halpern ◽  
Marcio Correa Mancini ◽  
Alfredo Halpern
Keyword(s):  
Adipose Tissue ◽  
Brown Adipose Tissue ◽  
Mitochondrial Uncoupling ◽  
Positron Emission ◽  
Brown Adipose ◽  
Adult Humans ◽  
Human Adults ◽  
Real Importance ◽  
Diet Induced Thermogenesis ◽  
Fluorodeoxyglucose Pet

Brown adipose tissue, an essential organ for thermoregulation in small and hibernating mammals due to its mitochondrial uncoupling capacity, was until recently considered to be present in humans only in newborns. The identification of brown adipose tissue in adult humans since the development and use of positron emission tomography marked with 18-fluorodeoxyglucose (PET-FDG) has raised a series of doubts and questions about its real importance in our metabolism. In this review, we will discuss what we have learnt since its identification in humans as well as both new and old concepts, some of which have been marginalized for decades, such as diet-induced thermogenesis. Arq Bras Endocrinol Metab. 2014;58(9):889-99

Unexpected evidence for active brown adipose tissue in adult humans

2007 ◽  
Vol 293 (2) ◽  
pp. E444-E452 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan Nedergaard ◽  
Tore Bengtsson ◽  
Barbara Cannon
Keyword(s):  
Human Physiology ◽  
Adipose Tissue ◽  
Brown Adipose Tissue ◽  
Tracer Uptake ◽  
Interscapular Brown Adipose Tissue ◽  
Positron Emission ◽  
Brown Adipose ◽  
Adult Humans ◽  
Brown Adipose Tissue Activity ◽  
Diet Induced Thermogenesis

The contention that brown adipose tissue is absent in adult man has meant that processes attributed to active brown adipose tissue in experimental animals (mainly rodents), i.e., classical nonshivering thermogenesis, adaptive adrenergic thermogenesis, diet-induced thermogenesis, and antiobesity, should be either absent or attributed to alternative (unknown) mechanisms in man. However, serendipidously, as a consequence of the use of fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG PET) to trace tumor metastasis, observations that may change that notion have recently been made. These tomography scans have visualized symmetrical areas of increased tracer uptake in the upper parts of the human body; these areas of uptake correspond to brown adipose tissue. We examine here the published observations from a viewpoint of human physiology. The human depots are somewhat differently located from those in rodents, the main depots being found in the supraclavicular and the neck regions with some additional paravertebral, mediastinal, para-aortic, and suprarenal localizations (but no interscapular). Brown adipose tissue activity in man is acutely cold induced and is stimulated via the sympathetic nervous system. The prevalence of active brown adipose tissue in normal adult man can be only indirectly estimated, but it would seem that the prevalence of active brown adipose tissue in the population may be at least in the range of some tens of percent. We conclude that a substantial fraction of adult humans possess active brown adipose tissue that thus has the potential to be of metabolic significance for normal human physiology as well as to become pharmaceutically activated in efforts to combat obesity.

Sympathoadrenal system and regulation of thermogenesis

1984 ◽  
Vol 247 (2) ◽  
pp. E181-E189 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Landsberg ◽  
M. E. Saville ◽  
J. B. Young
Keyword(s):  
Adipose Tissue ◽  
Dietary Intake ◽  
Brown Adipose Tissue ◽  
Cold Exposure ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Interscapular Brown Adipose Tissue ◽  
Norepinephrine Turnover ◽  
Brown Adipose ◽  
Adult Humans ◽  
Diet Induced Thermogenesis

The sympathetic nervous system (SNS) plays a critical role in the regulation of mammalian thermogenic responses to cold exposure and dietary intake. Catecholamine-stimulated thermogenesis is mediated by the beta-adrenergic receptor. In the rat brown adipose tissue is the major site of metabolic heat production in response to both cold (nonshivering thermogenesis) and diet (diet-induced thermogenesis). Measurements of norepinephrine turnover rate in interscapular brown adipose tissue of the rat demonstrate increased sympathetic activity in response to both cold exposure and overfeeding. In adult humans, a physiologically significant role for brown adipose tissue has not been established but cannot be excluded. It appears likely that dietary changes in SNS activity are related, at least in part, to the changes in metabolic rate that occur in association with changes in dietary intake.

scholarly journals Imaging Metabolically Active Fat: A Literature Review and Mechanistic Insights

2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (21) ◽  
pp. 5509
Author(s):  
Joseph Frankl ◽  
Amber Sherwood ◽  
Deborah J. Clegg ◽  
Philipp E. Scherer ◽  
Orhan K. Öz
Keyword(s):  
Adipose Tissue ◽  
Brown Adipose Tissue ◽  
Cancer Surveillance ◽  
Mitochondrial Uncoupling ◽  
Positron Emission ◽  
Brown Adipose ◽  
Pet Ct ◽  
Brown Adipose Tissue Activity ◽  
Magnetic Resonance Imaging Mri ◽  
Fdg Pet Ct

Currently, obesity is one of the leading causes death in the world. Shortly before 2000, researchers began describing metabolically active adipose tissue on cancer-surveillance 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) in adult humans. This tissue generates heat through mitochondrial uncoupling and functions similar to classical brown and beige adipose tissue in mice. Despite extensive research, human brown/beige fat’s role in resistance to obesity in humans has not yet been fully delineated. FDG uptake is the de facto gold standard imaging technique when studying brown adipose tissue, although it has not been rigorously compared to other techniques. We, therefore, present a concise review of established and emerging methods to image brown adipose tissue activity in humans. Reviewed modalities include anatomic imaging with CT and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI); molecular imaging with FDG, fatty acids, and acetate; and emerging techniques. FDG-PET/CT is the most commonly used modality because of its widespread use in cancer imaging, but there are mechanistic reasons to believe other radiotracers may be more sensitive and accurate at detecting brown adipose tissue activity. Radiation-free modalities may help the longitudinal study of brown adipose tissue activity in the future.

A critical appraisal of the prevalence and metabolic significance of brown adipose tissue in adult humans

2010 ◽  
Vol 299 (4) ◽  
pp. E601-E606 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul Lee ◽  
Jerry R. Greenfield ◽  
Ken K. Y. Ho ◽  
Michael J. Fulham
Keyword(s):  
Adipose Tissue ◽  
Brown Adipose Tissue ◽  
Energy Homeostasis ◽  
Fasting Glucose ◽  
Apparent Prevalence ◽  
Positron Emission ◽  
Brown Adipose ◽  
Pet Ct ◽  
Adult Humans ◽  
Average Probability

Brown adipose tissue (BAT) plays a major role in energy homeostasis in animals. Detection of BAT using positron emission tomography (PET)-CT in humans has challenged the view that BAT disappears after infancy. Several recent studies, based on analysis of single scans, have reported a low prevalence of only 5–10% in humans, casting doubt on its significance. We undertook a critical analysis of the sensitivity, reproducibility, and accuracy of PET-CT to deduce the prevalence of BAT and factors associated with its detection in adult humans. In a retrospective evaluation of PET-CT, using [18F]fluorodeoxyglucose, performed in 2,934 patients, BAT was identified in 250 patients, yielding an apparent prevalence of 8.5%. Among those patients with BAT, 145 were scanned more than once. The frequency of another scan being positive increased from 8 to 65% for one to more than four additional studies. The average probability of obtaining another positive scan among patients with BAT is 13%, from which the prevalence of BAT is estimated at 64%. BAT was more commonly detected in women, in younger (36 ± 1 vs. 52 ± 1 years, P < 0.001) and leaner (20.1 ± 0.9 vs. 24.9 ± 0.9 kg/m2, P < 0.01) individuals. Fasting glucose was lower in those with BAT than those without (4.9 ± 0.1 vs. 5.5 ± 0.1 mmol/l, P < 0.01). Among patients scanned more than once, BAT was detected when body weight and fasting glucose were lower (54.9 ± 0.5 vs. 58.2 ± 0.8 kg, P < 0.001 and 4.9 ± 0.3 vs. 5.5 ± 0.3 mmol/l, P = 0.03). We conclude that BAT is present in the majority of adult humans. Presence of BAT correlates negatively with body mass index and glucose concentration. BAT may play an important role in energy homeostasis in adults.

Functional characterization of human brown adipose tissue metabolism

2020 ◽  
Vol 477 (7) ◽  
pp. 1261-1286 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marie Anne Richard ◽  
Hannah Pallubinsky ◽  
Denis P. Blondin
Keyword(s):  
Adipose Tissue ◽  
Brown Adipose Tissue ◽  
Functional Characterization ◽  
Human Infants ◽  
Positron Emission ◽  
Brown Adipose ◽  
Treatment Of Obesity ◽  
And Function

Brown adipose tissue (BAT) has long been described according to its histological features as a multilocular, lipid-containing tissue, light brown in color, that is also responsive to the cold and found especially in hibernating mammals and human infants. Its presence in both hibernators and human infants, combined with its function as a heat-generating organ, raised many questions about its role in humans. Early characterizations of the tissue in humans focused on its progressive atrophy with age and its apparent importance for cold-exposed workers. However, the use of positron emission tomography (PET) with the glucose tracer [18F]fluorodeoxyglucose ([18F]FDG) made it possible to begin characterizing the possible function of BAT in adult humans, and whether it could play a role in the prevention or treatment of obesity and type 2 diabetes (T2D). This review focuses on the in vivo functional characterization of human BAT, the methodological approaches applied to examine these features and addresses critical gaps that remain in moving the field forward. Specifically, we describe the anatomical and biomolecular features of human BAT, the modalities and applications of non-invasive tools such as PET and magnetic resonance imaging coupled with spectroscopy (MRI/MRS) to study BAT morphology and function in vivo, and finally describe the functional characteristics of human BAT that have only been possible through the development and application of such tools.

CNS origins of the sympathetic nervous system outflow to brown adipose tissue

1999 ◽  
Vol 276 (6) ◽  
pp. R1569-R1578 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maryam Bamshad ◽  
C. Kay Song ◽  
Timothy J. Bartness
Keyword(s):  
Nervous System ◽  
Adipose Tissue ◽  
Sympathetic Nervous System ◽  
Brown Adipose Tissue ◽  
Pseudorabies Virus ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Hypothalamic Nucleus ◽  
Brown Adipose ◽  
Sympathetic Nervous ◽  
Diet Induced Thermogenesis

Brown adipose tissue (BAT) plays a critical role in cold- and diet-induced thermogenesis. Although BAT is densely innervated by the sympathetic nervous system (SNS), little is known about the central nervous system (CNS) origins of this innervation. The purpose of the present experiment was to determine the neuroanatomic chain of functionally connected neurons from the CNS to BAT. A transneuronal viral tract tracer, Bartha’s K strain of the pseudorabies virus (PRV), was injected into the interscapular BAT of Siberian hamsters. The animals were killed 4 and 6 days postinjection, and the infected neurons were visualized by immunocytochemistry. PRV-infected neurons were found in the spinal cord, brain stem, midbrain, and forebrain. The intensity of labeled neurons in the forebrain varied from heavy infections in the medial preoptic area and paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus to few infections in the ventromedial hypothalamic nucleus, with moderate infections in the suprachiasmatic and lateral hypothalamic nuclei. These results define the SNS outflow from the brain to BAT for the first time in any species.

Characterization and regulation of cold-induced heat shock protein expression in mouse brown adipose tissue

1995 ◽  
Vol 269 (1) ◽  
pp. R38-R47 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. M. Matz ◽  
M. J. Blake ◽  
H. M. Tatelman ◽  
K. P. Lavoi ◽  
N. J. Holbrook
Keyword(s):  
Adipose Tissue ◽  
Heat Shock ◽  
Brown Adipose Tissue ◽  
Cold Exposure ◽  
Elevated Temperatures ◽  
Uncoupling Protein ◽  
Hsp70 Expression ◽  
Mitochondrial Uncoupling ◽  
Ambient Temperatures ◽  
Brown Adipose

The accumulation of heat shock proteins (HSPs) after the exposure of cells or organisms to elevated temperatures is well established. It is also known that a variety of other environmental and cellular metabolic stressors can induce HSP synthesis. However, few studies have investigated the effect of cold temperature on HSP expression. Here we report that exposure of Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) mice to cold ambient temperatures results in a tissue-selective induction of HSPs in brown adipose tissue (BAT) coincident with the induction of mitochondrial uncoupling protein synthesis. Cold-induced HSP expression is associated with enhanced binding of heat shock transcription factors to DNA, similar to that which occurs after exposure of cells or tissues to heat and other metabolic stresses. Adrenergic receptor antagonists were found to block cold-induced HSP70 expression in BAT, whereas adrenergic agonists induced BAT HSP expression in the absence of cold exposure. These findings suggest that norepinephrine, released in response to cold exposure, induces HSP expression in BAT. Norepinephrine appears to initiate transcription of HSP genes after binding to BAT adrenergic receptors through, as yet, undetermined signal transduction pathways. Thermogenesis results from an increase in activity and synthesis of several metabolic enzymes in BAT of animals exposed to cold challenge. The concomitant increase in HSPs may function to facilitate the translocation and activity of the enzymes involved in this process.

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