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White and Brown Adipose Tissue in Obesity and Diabetes

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Obesity and Diabetes

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Abstract

It has become increasingly evident that the diversity of adipose tissue types may play distinct and potentially important roles in human physiology. White adipose tissue (WAT), the primary energy storage tissue, is important in homeostasis but when found in excess can predispose individuals to severe insulin resistance and diabetes. Human life is compatible with WAT composing between 4 and 60% of total body mass, pointing to its incredible adaptability. In contrast, brown adipose tissue (BAT), typically thought to occur only in hibernating animals and babies, is becoming recognized for its role in human energy expenditure, hormone production, immune regulation, among others. BAT usually comprises around 0–2% of total body mass; however, recent scientific advances in noninvasive imaging and molecular biology have allowed to explore unknown functions of this dynamic tissue. We discuss here the anatomy and physiology of WAT and BAT in the lean and obese human, and potential mechanisms regarding the interplay within obesity and Type 2 diabetes. Later, we review the current methodology for measuring and detecting WAT and BAT, how to experimentally modulate BAT activity, as well as future investigations to yield greater insight into BAT’s functional role in human health.

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Acknowledgments

This chapter was made possible by support from the NIH Medical Scientist Training Program Training Grant T32GM007205 and a postdoctoral grant from the Fundación Alfonso Martin Escudero.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Internal Medicine and Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA

    Brooks P. Leitner

  2. Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, and Einthoven Laboratory for Experimental Vascular Medicine, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands

    Borja Martinez-Tellez

Authors
  1. Brooks P. Leitner
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  2. Borja Martinez-Tellez
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Correspondence to Brooks P. Leitner .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Hospital das Clinicas, Sao Paulo University Medical School, Sao Paulo, Brazil

    Joel Faintuch

  2. Harvard Medical School, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA

    Salomão Faintuch

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Leitner, B.P., Martinez-Tellez, B. (2020). White and Brown Adipose Tissue in Obesity and Diabetes. In: Faintuch, J., Faintuch, S. (eds) Obesity and Diabetes. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-53370-0_5

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