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Review
. 2016:2016:2365609.
doi: 10.1155/2016/2365609. Epub 2016 Dec 25.

Novel Browning Agents, Mechanisms, and Therapeutic Potentials of Brown Adipose Tissue

Umesh D Wankhade  1 , Michael Shen  2 , Hariom Yadav  3 , Keshari M Thakali  1
Affiliations
Review

Novel Browning Agents, Mechanisms, and Therapeutic Potentials of Brown Adipose Tissue

Umesh D Wankhade et al. Biomed Res Int. 2016.

Abstract

Nonshivering thermogenesis is the process of biological heat production in mammals and is primarily mediated by brown adipose tissue (BAT). Through ubiquitous expression of uncoupling protein 1 (Ucp1) on the mitochondrial inner membrane, BAT displays uncoupling of fuel combustion and ATP production in order to dissipate energy as heat. Because of its crucial role in regulating energy homeostasis, ongoing exploration of BAT has emphasized its therapeutic potential in addressing the global epidemics of obesity and diabetes. The recent appreciation that adult humans possess functional BAT strengthens this prospect. Furthermore, it has been identified that there are both classical brown adipocytes residing in dedicated BAT depots and "beige" adipocytes residing in white adipose tissue depots that can acquire BAT-like characteristics in response to environmental cues. This review aims to provide a brief overview of BAT research and summarize recent findings concerning the physiological, cellular, and developmental characteristics of brown adipocytes. In addition, some key genetic, molecular, and pharmacologic targets of BAT/Beige cells that have been reported to have therapeutic potential to combat obesity will be discussed.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interests.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Location of brown adipose tissue activity as detected by PET-CT with 18F-FDG. BAT is highlighted in red and gets activated upon cold exposure (figure remade and adopted from van Marken Lichtenbelt et al. [5]).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Cartoon representation of different types of adipose tissue depots.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Chemical/plant by products that induce browning in white adipose tissue.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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