Adipokines and (B)AT Activity
Adipokines and (B)AT Activity
Auto-Regulatory Pathways of Brown and White Adipose Tissue Lipolysis and Thermogenesis
The main physiological function of brown and beige adipocytes is to control the amount of energy dissipated in form of heat required to maintain core body temperature, e.g. during cold exposure, a process known as non-shivering thermogenesis. Whether via direct uncoupling of ATP synthesis by UCP1 as mainly occurring in brown adipocytes, or by futile cycling of creatine, fatty acids, or calcium, as believed to dominate in beige thermogenic adipocytes, the guiding hypothesis is that expending more energy in the form of heat could be used to promote negative energy balance and prevent or reverse obesity. Furthermore, the expended substrate spectrum that fuels thermogenesis could be utilized to clear e.g. systemic glucose and thereby treat hyperglycemia in type 2 diabetes.
While most current research in thermogenesis aims to identify activators of these processes, uncontrolled thermogenesis may produce excessive heat, promote cachexia, and muscular waste processes. Thus, physiological, and potentially pharmacologic brakes for thermogenesis are highly relevant and important as well.
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