title: The Whitening of Brown Fat and Its Implications for Weight Management in Obesity.
abstract: Systemic inflammation resulting from dysfunction of white adipose tissue (WAT) accelerates the pathologies of diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. In contrast to WAT, brown adipose tissue (BAT) is abundant in mitochondria that produce heat by uncoupling respiratory chain process of ATP synthesis. Besides BAT's role in thermogenesis, accumulating evidence has shown that it is involved in regulating systemic metabolism. Studies have analyzed the "browning" processes of WAT as a means to combat obesity, whereas few studies have focused on the impact and molecular mechanisms that contribute to obesity-linked BAT dysfunction--a process that is associated with the "whitening" of this tissue. Compared to WAT, a dense vascular network is required to support the high energy consumption of BAT. Recently, vascular rarefaction was shown to be a significant causal factor in the whitening of BAT in mouse models. Vascular insufficiency leads to mitochondrial dysfunction and loss in BAT and contributes to systemic insulin resistance. These data suggest that BAT "whitening," resulting from vascular dysfunction, can impact obesity and obesity-linked diseases. Conversely, agents that promote BAT function could have utility in the treatment of these conditions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Biology and Medicine, Division of Molecular Aging and Cell Biology, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata, 951-8510, Japan. ippeishimizu@yahoo.co.jp.
authors.forename: Ippei
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Shimizu
authors.affiliation: Molecular Cardiology and Whitaker Cardiovascular Institute, Boston University School of Medicine, 715 Albany Street, W611, Boston, MA, 02118, USA.
authors.forename: Kenneth
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Walsh
mesh_terms: D002001:Adipose Tissue, Brown / Q000098:blood supply / Q000378:metabolism*; D052436:Adipose Tissue, White / Q000098:blood supply / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D001808:Blood Vessels / Q000473:pathology*; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000209:etiology* / Q000378:metabolism; D004734:Energy Metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007333:Insulin Resistance; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000378:metabolism; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D022722:Thermogenesis
keywords: Insulin resistance; Obesity; VEGF-A; Whitening of BAT