Human brown adipose tissue as a target for obesity management; beyond cold‐induced thermogenesis

Summary Elevating energy expenditure via adaptive thermogenesis in brown adipose tissue (BAT) is a potential strategy to reverse obesity. Much early enthusiasm for this approach, based on rodent studies, was tempered by the belief that BAT was relatively inconsequential in healthy adult humans. Inte...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Obesity reviews 2017-11, Vol.18 (11), p.1227-1242
Main Authors: Loh, R.K.C., Kingwell, B.A., Carey, A.L.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adaptive thermogenesis
Adipose tissue
Adipose tissue (brown)
Adipose Tissue, Brown - physiology
Adiposity
Adults
Animal models
brown adipose tissue
Browning
Cold Temperature
cold‐induced thermogenesis
Diet
diet‐induced thermogenesis
Energy expenditure
Energy management
Energy Metabolism
Humans
Obesity
Obesity - therapy
Obesity Management
Pharmacology
Physiology
Recruitment
Rodents
Thermogenesis
Thorax
Weight control
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Summary:Summary Elevating energy expenditure via adaptive thermogenesis in brown adipose tissue (BAT) is a potential strategy to reverse obesity. Much early enthusiasm for this approach, based on rodent studies, was tempered by the belief that BAT was relatively inconsequential in healthy adult humans. Interest was reinvigorated a decade ago when a series of studies re‐identified BAT, primarily in upper thoracic regions, in adults. Despite the ensuing explosion of pre‐clinical investigations and identification of an extensive list of potential target molecules for BAT recruitment, our understanding of human BAT physiology remains limited, particularly regarding interventions which might hold therapeutic promise. Cold‐induced BAT thermogenesis (CIT) has been well studied, although is not readily translatable as an anti‐obesity approach, whereas little is known regarding the role of BAT in human diet‐induced thermogenesis (DIT). Furthermore, human studies dedicated to translating known pharmacological mechanisms of adipose browning from animal models are sparse. Several lines of recent evidence suggest that molecular regulation and physiology of human BAT differ to that of laboratory rodents, which form the majority of our knowledge base. This review will summarize knowledge on CIT and expand upon the current understanding and evidence gaps related to human adaptive thermogenesis via mechanisms other than cold.
ISSN:1467-7881
1467-789X
DOI:10.1111/obr.12584