title: Evidence for two types of brown adipose tissue in humans.
abstract: The previously observed supraclavicular depot of brown adipose tissue (BAT) in adult humans was commonly believed to be the equivalent of the interscapular thermogenic organ of small mammals. This view was recently disputed on the basis of the demonstration that this depot consists of beige (also called brite) brown adipocytes, a newly identified type of brown adipocyte that is distinct from the classical brown adipocytes that make up the interscapular thermogenic organs of other mammals. A combination of high-resolution imaging techniques and histological and biochemical analyses showed evidence for an anatomically distinguishable interscapular BAT (iBAT) depot in human infants that consists of classical brown adipocytes, a cell type that has so far not been shown to exist in humans. On the basis of these findings, we conclude that infants, similarly to rodents, have the bona fide iBAT thermogenic organ consisting of classical brown adipocytes that is essential for the survival of small mammals in a cold environment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical and Clinical Genetics, Institute of Biomedicine, The Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
authors.forename: Martin E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Lidell
authors.forename: Matthias J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Betz
authors.forename: Olof
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Dahlqvist Leinhard
authors.forename: Mikael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Heglind
authors.forename: Louise
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Elander
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Slawik
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mussack
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Nilsson
authors.forename: Thobias
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Romu
authors.forename: Pirjo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Nuutila
authors.forename: Kirsi A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Virtanen
authors.forename: Felix
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Beuschlein
authors.forename: Anders
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Persson
authors.forename: Magnus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Borga
authors.forename: Sven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Enerbäck
mesh_terms: D002001:Adipose Tissue, Brown / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D001706:Biopsy; D001831:Body Temperature; D003080:Cold Temperature; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D051379:Mice; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence