title: Brown adipose tissue: a potential target in the fight against obesity and the metabolic syndrome.
abstract: BAT (brown adipose tissue) is the main site of thermogenesis in mammals. It is essential to ensure thermoregulation in newborns. It is also found in (some) adult humans. Its capacity to oxidize fatty acids and glucose without ATP production contributes to energy expenditure and glucose homoeostasis. Brown fat activation has thus emerged as an attractive therapeutic target for the treatment of obesity and the metabolic syndrome. In the present review, we integrate the recent advances on the metabolic role of BAT and its relation with other tissues as well as its potential contribution to fighting obesity and the metabolic syndrome.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Hepato-Gastroenterology, Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique (IREC), Université Catholique de Louvain (UCL), Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Laurence
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Poekes
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Hepato-Gastroenterology, Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique (IREC), Université Catholique de Louvain (UCL), Brussels, Belgium Service d'Hépato-Gastroentérologie, Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Nicolas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Lanthier
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Hepato-Gastroenterology, Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique (IREC), Université Catholique de Louvain (UCL), Brussels, Belgium Service d'Hépato-Gastroentérologie, Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, Brussels, Belgium isabelle.leclercq@uclouvain.be.
authors.forename: Isabelle A
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: Leclercq
mesh_terms: D052437:Adipocytes, Brown / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D002001:Adipose Tissue, Brown / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D000818:Animals; D019440:Anti-Obesity Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015195:Drug Design; D004734:Energy Metabolism / Q000187:drug effects*; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000378:metabolism; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D009765:Obesity / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D015398:Signal Transduction
chemical_list: D019440:Anti-Obesity Agents; D005227:Fatty Acids; D005947:Glucose
keywords: adrenergic receptor; brown adipose tissue; browning; diabetes; obesity; white adipose tissue