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New Physiological Aspects of Brown Adipose Tissue

  • Metabolism (R Pasquali, Section Editor)
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Abstract

Brown adipose tissue is specialised for the generation of heat by non-shivering mechanisms. In rodents, the tissue plays a role in energy balance and the development of obesity, as well as in thermoregulation. Studies using fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET), together with the identification of uncoupling protein-1, have provided definitive evidence that brown adipose tissue is present in adult humans. Brown fat activity is stimulated by cold exposure, declines with age and is inversely proportional to BMI. This has led to renewed interest in the tissue as a therapeutic target for the treatment of obesity. Brown adipose tissue also plays a role in glucose disposal and triglyceride clearance, implicating it in the metabolic syndrome. A potential mechanism for increasing thermogenesis is by the ‘browning’ of white adipose depots through the recruitment of the recently identified third type of adipocyte — the brite (or beige) fat cell.

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The authors are grateful to their colleagues, past and present, for their help and support.

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Paul Trayhurn and Jonathan RS Arch1 declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

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  1. Clore Laboratory, Buckingham Institute for Translational Medicine, University of Buckingham, Hunter Street, Buckingham, MK18 1EG, UK

    Paul Trayhurn & Jonathan R. S. Arch

  2. Obesity Biology Research Unit, Institute of Ageing and Chronic Diseases, University of Liverpool, Duncan Building, Liverpool, L69 3GA, UK

    Paul Trayhurn

  3. College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh, 11451, Saudi Arabia

    Paul Trayhurn

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Trayhurn, P., Arch, J.R.S. New Physiological Aspects of Brown Adipose Tissue. Curr Obes Rep 3, 414–421 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13679-014-0125-8

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