The anterior subcutaneous WAT has greater beiging potential than the inguinal WAT in mice

White adipose tissue (WAT) beiging plays an important role in energy expenditure and metabolic health. However, WAT depots exhibit substantial functional heterogeneity across anatomical locations. This study aimed to compare the beiging potential of anterior subcutaneous WAT (asWAT) and inguinal subcutaneous WAT (iWAT) in mice under thermoneutral and cold-exposure conditions at 25 °C and 4 °C, respectively.

A multi-method approach was used, including histomorphological analysis, transcriptome sequencing (RNA-seq), real-time quantitative PCR, Western blotting, immunofluorescence staining, and mitochondrial DNA copy-number quantification.

Compared with iWAT, asWAT exhibited a more pronounced beige-like phenotype under both thermoneutral and cold-exposure conditions, as evidenced by smaller adipocytes, higher expression of thermogenic genes, and increased mitochondrial abundance and activity. Transcriptomic analysis further revealed significant enrichment and upregulation of thermogenesis and oxidative phosphorylation pathways in asWAT.

The findings indicate that asWAT has a greater beiging capacity than iWAT, which is associated with a more active thermogenic transcriptional program and enhanced mitochondrial remodeling. Study demonstrates functional heterogeneity between subcutaneous adipose depots and identifies asWAT as a depot with greater thermogenic potential than iWAT. The findings provide new insights into depot-specific strategies for promoting WAT beiging and improving metabolic health.