beta-Carotene conversion products and their effects on adipose tissue.
Recent epidemiological data suggest that beta-carotene may be protective against metabolic diseases in which adipose tissue plays a key role. Adipose tissue constitutes the major beta-carotene storage tissue and its functions have been shown to be modulated in response to beta-carotene breakdown products, especially retinal produced after cleavage by beta-carotene 15,15'-monooxygenase (BCMO1), and retinoic acid arising from oxidation of retinal. However, the possibility exists that beta-carotene in its intact form can also affect adipocyte function. Development of a knock out model and identification of a loss-of-function mutation have pointed out BCMO1 as being probably the sole enzyme responsible for provitamin A conversion into retinal in mammals. The utilisation of BCMO1(-/-)mice should provide insights on beta-carotene effect on its own in the future. In humans, intervention studies have highlighted the huge interindividual variation of beta-carotene conversion efficiency, possibly due to genetic polymorphisms, which might impact on response to beta-carotene. This brief review discusses the processes involved in beta-carotene conversion and the effect of cleavage products on body fat and adipose tissue function.
Tourniaire
Franck
F
School of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Development, Newcastle University, King's Road, NE2 1PN, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.
Gouranton
Erwan
E
von Lintig
Johannes
J
Keijer
Jaap
J
Bonet
M Luisa
ML
Amengual
Jaume
J
Lietz
Georg
G
Landrier
Jean-François
JF