Srivastava Shireesh, Veech Richard L
Systems Biology for Biofuels Group, International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), New Delhi, India.
Laboratory of Metabolic Control, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD, United States.
Front Physiol. 2019 Jan 30;10:38. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2019.00038. eCollection 2019.
Brown adipose tissue (BAT) is proposed to maintain thermal homeostasis through dissipation of chemical energy as heat by the uncoupling proteins (UCPs) present in their mitochondria. The recent demonstration of the presence of BAT in humans has invigorated research in this area. The research has provided many new insights into the biology and functioning of this tissue and the biological implications of its altered activities. Another finding of interest is browning of white adipose tissue (WAT) resulting in what is known as beige/brite cells, which have increased mitochondrial proteins and UCPs. In general, it has been observed that the activation of BAT is associated with various physiological improvements such as a reduction in blood glucose levels increased resting energy expenditure and reduced weight. Given the similar physiological functions of BAT and beige/ brite cells and the higher mass of WAT compared to BAT, it is likely that increasing the brite/beige cells in WATs may also lead to greater metabolic benefits. However, development of treatments targeting brown fat or WAT browning would require not only a substantial understanding of the biology of these tissues but also the effect of altering their activity levels on whole body metabolism and physiology. In this review, we present evidence from literature on the substrates utilized by BAT, regulation of BAT activity and browning by circulating molecules. We also present dietary and pharmacological activators of brown and beige/brite adipose tissue and the effect of physical exercise on BAT activity and browning.
棕色脂肪组织（BAT）被认为可通过其线粒体中存在的解偶联蛋白（UCPs）将化学能以热量形式散发，从而维持热稳态。近期在人类体内发现棕色脂肪组织这一现象激发了该领域的研究。这项研究为该组织的生物学特性、功能以及其活动改变所产生的生物学影响提供了许多新见解。另一个有趣的发现是白色脂肪组织（WAT）的褐变，产生了所谓的米色/明亮细胞，这些细胞的线粒体蛋白和UCPs有所增加。一般来说，人们观察到棕色脂肪组织的激活与各种生理改善相关，如血糖水平降低、静息能量消耗增加和体重减轻。鉴于棕色脂肪组织与米色/明亮细胞具有相似的生理功能，且白色脂肪组织的质量比棕色脂肪组织大，增加白色脂肪组织中的明亮/米色细胞可能也会带来更大的代谢益处。然而，开发针对棕色脂肪或白色脂肪组织褐变的治疗方法不仅需要深入了解这些组织的生物学特性，还需要了解改变其活动水平对全身代谢和生理的影响。在这篇综述中，我们展示了文献中关于棕色脂肪组织利用的底物、循环分子对棕色脂肪组织活性和褐变的调节的证据。我们还介绍了棕色和米色/明亮脂肪组织的饮食和药物激活剂以及体育锻炼对棕色脂肪组织活性和褐变的影响。
