Browning of white adipose tissue: lessons from experimental models

Area of Science:

• Adipose tissue biology
• Metabolic regulation
• Thermogenesis

Background:

• Beige/brite adipocytes in white adipose tissue (WAT) can acquire a brown fat-like phenotype, increasing thermogenesis.
• This browning phenomenon, particularly in subcutaneous WAT, involves key factors like PRDM16, PPAR-γ, and UCP-1.
• Human WAT browning has demonstrated beneficial metabolic effects, highlighting its therapeutic potential.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the mechanisms and activators of white adipose tissue browning.
• To explore the therapeutic implications of targeting WAT browning for metabolic diseases.
• To summarize current pharmacological and nutritional strategies for inducing adipose tissue browning.

Main Methods:

• Review of recent scientific literature on WAT browning.
• Analysis of molecular pathways involved in thermogenesis and adipocyte phenotype switching.
• Categorization of pharmacological and nutritional inducers of browning.

Main Results:

• Browning of human WAT is a recognized phenomenon with positive metabolic outcomes.
• Pharmacological inducers include PPAR-α agonists, adrenergic stimulation, irisin, and FGF21, often via PGC-1α.
• Nutritional activators encompass amino acid restriction, capsaicin, bile acids, resveratrol, and retinoic acid.

Conclusions:

• The discovery of browning in human WAT presents a promising avenue for treating metabolic disorders.
• Targeting adipose tissue browning offers new opportunities for obesity control and enhancing thermogenesis.
• Further research into pharmacological and nutritional activators can lead to novel therapeutic strategies.