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Updated: Feb 6, 2026

Isolating Brown Adipocytes from Murine Interscapular Brown Adipose Tissue for Gene and Protein Expression Analysis
Published on: March 12, 2021
Brown adipocyte glucose metabolism: a heated subject
Mohammed K Hankir1,2, Martin Klingenspor3,4
1Department of Experimental Surgery, University Hospital Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany hankir_m@klinik.uni-wuerzburg.de mk@tum.de.
Abstract:
The energy expending and glucose sink properties of brown adipose tissue (BAT) make it an attractive target for new obesity and diabetes treatments. Despite decades of research, only recently have mechanistic studies started to provide a more complete and consistent picture of how activated brown adipocytes handle glucose. Here, we discuss the importance of intracellular glycolysis, lactate production, lipogenesis, lipolysis, and beta-oxidation for BAT thermogenesis in response to natural (temperature) and artificial (pharmacological and optogenetic) forms of sympathetic nervous system stimulation. It is now clear that together, these metabolic processes in series and in parallel flexibly power ATP-dependent and independent futile cycles in brown adipocytes to impact on whole-body thermal, energy, and glucose balance.
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