Regulation of brown fat by AMP-activated protein kinase.
Novel strategies are needed to reduce the obesity epidemic. One promising strategy is activation of brown adipose tissue (BAT), either via the brain or directly, which increases energy expenditure by combustion of fatty acids (FAs) into heat. The enzyme complex AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is crucially involved in energy metabolism and is highly expressed in both brain and BAT, regulating thermogenesis. As a general rule, BAT activity and energy expenditure are increased either by suppression of AMPK activity in the brain, resulting in enhanced sympathetic outflow towards BAT, or by activation of AMPK in BAT. Targeting AMPK may thus hold therapeutic potential for the treatment of obesity and related disorders.
Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology and Einthoven Laboratory for Experimental Vascular Medicine, Leiden University Medical Center, post zone C7Q, PO Box 9600, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands. Electronic address: a.d.van_dam@lumc.nl.
Andrea D
AD
van Dam
Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology and Einthoven Laboratory for Experimental Vascular Medicine, Leiden University Medical Center, post zone C7Q, PO Box 9600, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands.
Sander
S
Kooijman
Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology and Einthoven Laboratory for Experimental Vascular Medicine, Leiden University Medical Center, post zone C7Q, PO Box 9600, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands.
Maaike
M
Schilperoort
Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology and Einthoven Laboratory for Experimental Vascular Medicine, Leiden University Medical Center, post zone C7Q, PO Box 9600, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands.
Patrick C N
PC
Rensen
Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology and Einthoven Laboratory for Experimental Vascular Medicine, Leiden University Medical Center, post zone C7Q, PO Box 9600, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands.
Mariëtte R
MR
Boon
D055372:AMP-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D002001:Adipose Tissue, Brown / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D009765:Obesity / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D022722:Thermogenesis
D055372:AMP-Activated Protein Kinases
AMP-activated protein kinase; brown adipose tissue; energy expenditure; hypothalamus; thermogenesis; uncoupling protein 1