Paper
Does activating brown fat contribute to important metabolic benefits in humans? Yes!
Published Dec 1, 2023 · Aaron M Cypess
The Journal of Clinical Investigation
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Abstract
Adipose tissues are organs that have vital physiological roles in human health and disease. Functionally, white adipose tissue (WAT) is the principal repository for triglyceride energy, while brown adipose tissue (BAT) consumes fat and glucose to generate heat via chemical uncoupling and futile cycling (1). Excess calories stored in WAT lead to overweight and obesity and cause dysfunction in many organ systems, including WAT and BAT themselves. Reversing the ravages of obesity requires a net negative energy balance, which can be achieved through a combination of reduced food consumption, reduced caloric absorption, and increased energy expenditure. For decades, it has been recognized that chronic adrenergic stimulation of rodent BAT, either physiologically by cold exposure or pharmacologically via adrenergic receptor (AR) agonists, leads to a range of metabolic benefits, including resistance to diet-induced obesity (DIO), improved glycemia, and improved lipoprotein and cardiovascular risk profile (2). In this context, the question emerged: if adult humans had functional BAT, could its activation and growth be utilized to treat obesity and related metabolic diseases? The first step toward answering this question was conclusively established by 2009 with the demonstration of the presence of functional BAT in adult humans (3). More recently, investigators have devoted efforts to the next step, establishing at the cellular level that mouse and human adipocytes have similar genetic and functional […]
Activating brown fat in adult humans can provide metabolic benefits, including resistance to diet-induced obesity, improved glycemia, and reduced lipoprotein and cardiovascular risk profile.
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