Thuzar Moe, Ho Ken K Y
Department of Endocrinology and DiabetesPrincess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane, Queensland, AustraliaSchool of MedicineUniversity of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4102, Australia Department of Endocrinology and DiabetesPrincess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane, Queensland, AustraliaSchool of MedicineUniversity of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4102, Australia.
Department of Endocrinology and DiabetesPrincess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane, Queensland, AustraliaSchool of MedicineUniversity of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4102, Australia Department of Endocrinology and DiabetesPrincess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane, Queensland, AustraliaSchool of MedicineUniversity of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4102, Australia
Eur J Endocrinol. 2016 Jul;175(1):R11-25. doi: 10.1530/EJE-15-1217.
The recent discovery that functional brown adipose tissue (BAT) persists in adult humans has enkindled a renaissance in metabolic research, with a view of harnessing its thermogenic capacity to combat obesity. This review focuses on the advances in the regulation and the metabolic significance of BAT in humans. BAT activity in humans is stimulated by cold exposure and by several factors such as diet and metabolic hormones. BAT function is regulated at two levels: an acute process involving the stimulation of the intrinsic thermogenic activity of brown adipocytes and a chronic process of growth involving the proliferation of pre-existing brown adipocytes or differentiation to brown adipocytes of adipocytes from specific white adipose tissue depots. BAT activity is reduced in the obese, and its stimulation by cold exposure increases insulin sensitivity and reduces body fat. These observations provide strong evidence that BAT plays a significant role in energy balance in humans and has the potential to be harnessed as a therapeutic target for the management of obesity.
最近发现功能性棕色脂肪组织（BAT）在成年人体内持续存在，这引发了代谢研究的复兴，旨在利用其产热能力来对抗肥胖。本综述重点关注人类BAT调节及其代谢意义方面的进展。人体中的BAT活性受寒冷暴露以及饮食和代谢激素等多种因素刺激。BAT功能在两个层面上受到调节：一个是涉及刺激棕色脂肪细胞内在产热活性的急性过程，另一个是涉及既有棕色脂肪细胞增殖或特定白色脂肪组织库中的脂肪细胞向棕色脂肪细胞分化的慢性生长过程。肥胖人群的BAT活性降低，寒冷暴露对其刺激可增加胰岛素敏感性并减少体脂。这些观察结果提供了有力证据，表明BAT在人类能量平衡中起着重要作用，并且有潜力作为肥胖管理的治疗靶点加以利用。
