An insight into brown/beige adipose tissue whitening, a metabolic complication of obesity with the multifactorial origin

Frontiers in Endocrinology

Endocrinology

Babalwa U. Jack¹  Sihle E. Mabhida¹  Phiwayinkosi V. Dludla²  Sithandiwe E. Mazibuko-Mbeje³  Khanyisani Ziqubu³  Sinenhlanhla X. H. Mthembu⁴  Tawanda M. Nyambuya⁵  Bongani B. Nkambule⁶ 

[1] Biomedical Research and Innovation Platform, South African Medical Research Council, Tygerberg, South Africa;Biomedical Research and Innovation Platform, South African Medical Research Council, Tygerberg, South Africa;Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Faculty of Science and Agriculture, University of Zululand, KwaDlangezwa, South Africa;Department of Biochemistry, North-West University, Mmabatho, South Africa;Department of Biochemistry, North-West University, Mmabatho, South Africa;Biomedical Research and Innovation Platform, South African Medical Research Council, Tygerberg, South Africa;Department of Health Sciences, Faculty of Health and Applied Sciences, Namibia University of Science and Technology, Windhoek, Namibia;School of Laboratory Medicine and Medical Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa;

关键词: brown adipose tissue;    beige adipose tissue;    whitening;    obesity;    metabolic complications;   

DOI  :  10.3389/fendo.2023.1114767

 received in 2022-12-02, accepted in 2023-02-06,  发布年份 2023

来源: Frontiers

【 摘 要 】

Brown adipose tissue (BAT), a thermoregulatory organ known to promote energy expenditure, has been extensively studied as a potential avenue to combat obesity. Although BAT is the opposite of white adipose tissue (WAT) which is responsible for energy storage, BAT shares thermogenic capacity with beige adipose tissue that emerges from WAT depots. This is unsurprising as both BAT and beige adipose tissue display a huge difference from WAT in terms of their secretory profile and physiological role. In obesity, the content of BAT and beige adipose tissue declines as these tissues acquire the WAT characteristics via the process called “whitening”. This process has been rarely explored for its implication in obesity, whether it contributes to or exacerbates obesity. Emerging research has demonstrated that BAT/beige adipose tissue whitening is a sophisticated metabolic complication of obesity that is linked to multiple factors. The current review provides clarification on the influence of various factors such as diet, age, genetics, thermoneutrality, and chemical exposure on BAT/beige adipose tissue whitening. Moreover, the defects and mechanisms that underpin the whitening are described. Notably, the BAT/beige adipose tissue whitening can be marked by the accumulation of large unilocular lipid droplets, mitochondrial degeneration, and collapsed thermogenic capacity, by the virtue of mitochondrial dysfunction, devascularization, autophagy, and inflammation.

【 授权许可】

Unknown   
Copyright © 2023 Ziqubu, Dludla, Mthembu, Nkambule, Mabhida, Jack, Nyambuya and Mazibuko-Mbeje