Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2017 Jan 18;31(1).
doi: 10.1515/hmbci-2016-0051.

Browning of white adipose tissue: lessons from experimental models

Thereza Cristina Lonzetti Bargut  1 , Vanessa Souza-Mello  1 , Marcia Barbosa Aguila  1 , Carlos Alberto Mandarim-de-Lacerda  2
Affiliations
Free article
Review

Browning of white adipose tissue: lessons from experimental models

Thereza Cristina Lonzetti Bargut et al. Horm Mol Biol Clin Investig. .
Free article

Abstract

Beige or brite (brown-in-white) adipocytes are present in white adipose tissue (WAT) and have a white fat-like phenotype that when stimulated acquires a brown fat-like phenotype, leading to increased thermogenesis. This phenomenon is known as browning and is more likely to occur in subcutaneous fat depots. Browning involves the expression of many transcription factors, such as PR domain containing 16 (PRDM16) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)-γ, and of uncoupling protein (UCP)-1, which is the hallmark of thermogenesis. Recent papers pointed that browning can occur in the WAT of humans, with beneficial metabolic effects. This fact indicates that these cells can be targeted to treat a range of diseases, with both pharmacological and nutritional activators. Pharmacological approaches to induce browning include the use of PPAR-α agonist, adrenergic receptor stimulation, thyroid hormone administration, irisin and FGF21 induction. Most of them act through the induction of PPAR-γ coactivator (PGC) 1-α and the consequent mitochondrial biogenesis and UCP1 induction. About the nutritional inducers, several compounds have been described with multiple mechanisms of action. Some of these activators include specific amino acids restriction, capsaicin, bile acids, Resveratrol, and retinoic acid. Besides that, some classes of lipids, as well as many plant extracts, have also been implicated in the browning of WAT. In conclusion, the discovery of browning in human WAT opens the possibility to target the adipose tissue to fight a range of diseases. Studies have arisen showing promising results and bringing new opportunities in thermogenesis and obesity control.

Keywords: UCP-1; brite adipocytes; browning; browning induction; white adipose tissue.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Wu J, Bostrom P, Sparks LM, Ye L, Choi JH, Giang AH, Khandekar M, Virtanen KA, Nuutila P, Schaart G, Huang K, Tu H, van Marken Lichtenbelt WD, Hoeks J, Enerback S, Schrauwen P, Spiegelman BM. Beige adipocytes are a distinct type of thermogenic fat cell in mouse and human. Cell 2012;150:366–76.
    1. Lee P, Werner CD, Kebebew E, Celi FS. Functional thermogenic beige adipogenesis is inducible in human neck fat. Int J Obes (Lond) 2014;38:170–6.
    1. Barquissau V, Beuzelin D, Pisani DF, Beranger GE, Mairal A, Montagner A, Roussel B, Tavernier G, Marques MA, Moro C, Guillou H, Amri EZ, Langin D. White-to-brite conversion in human adipocytes promotes metabolic reprogramming towards fatty acid anabolic and catabolic pathways. Mol Metab 2016;5:352–65.
    1. Gustafson B, Smith U. Regulation of white adipogenesis and its relation to ectopic fat accumulation and cardiovascular risk. Atherosclerosis 2015;241:27–35.
    1. Spiegelman BM. Banting Lecture 2012: regulation of adipogenesis: toward new therapeutics for metabolic disease. Diabetes 2013;62:1774–82.