Abstract
Brown adipose tissue is mainly made of particular adipose cells, the brown adipocytes, distinct from white adipocytes. These cells are able to rapidly oxidise fatty acids and produce heat in response to specific physiological situations, instead to phophorylate ADP. Its activity as a powerful fat burner makes this tissue of interest, since potential applications to treat metabolic diseases are expected. Recent data obtained through the use of modern medical imagery revaluate the importance of BAT in human adults.
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Acknowledgments
The author thanks his remarkable colleagues and associates : Frédéric Bouillaud, Clotilde Alves-Guerra, Anne-Marie Cassard, Louis Casteilla, Saverio Cinti, Odette Champigny, Maria del Mar Gonzalez-Barroso, Brian Holloway, Marianne Larose, Corinne Lévi-Meyrueis, Bruno Miroux, Claire Pecqueur, Eduardo Rial, Denis Richard and Francesc Villarroya for their collaboration in studying UCP1. The author also thanks the Centre National de la Recherché Scientifique, the Institut pour la Santé et la Recherche Médicale, the European Community, the Human Frontier Science Program, the Servier Institute, the Délégation Générale à l’Armement and the Pierre et Marie Curie et René Descartes Universities for their support.
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Ricquier, D. (2013). Brown Adipose Tissue: Function and Development. In: Bastard, JP., Fève, B. (eds) Physiology and Physiopathology of Adipose Tissue. Springer, Paris. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-2-8178-0343-2_5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-2-8178-0343-2_5
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