title: Hormonal and nutritional signalling in the control of brown and beige adipose tissue activation and recruitment.
abstract: Recent research has revealed that the activity of adipose tissue (BAT) in adult humans is higher than previously thought, and that obese patients show abnormally low levels of brown fat activity. Studies in experimental animals have shown that BAT is a site of energy expenditure, and that BAT activity protects against obesity and associated metabolic diseases. The action of the sympathetic nervous activity on BAT depots is considered the main regulator of BAT activity in rodent models and possibly also in humans. However, recent research has revealed the existence of additional hormonal factors, produced by distinct peripheral tissues or present in the diet, that influence the amount and activity of BAT. These hormonal factors may act on BAT directly, but also indirectly by targeting the brain and determining the intensity of sympathetic action upon BAT. Identification and characterization of novel factors that control BAT may provide clues for the development of new strategies to treat obesity and metabolic diseases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biomedicine and Institut de Biomedicina (IBUB), University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain; CIBER Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Spain; Institut de Recerca Pediàtrica Sant Joan de Déu, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Giralt
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biomedicine and Institut de Biomedicina (IBUB), University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain; CIBER Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Spain; Institut de Recerca Pediàtrica Sant Joan de Déu, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.
authors.forename: Montserrat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cairó
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biomedicine and Institut de Biomedicina (IBUB), University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain; CIBER Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Spain; Institut de Recerca Pediàtrica Sant Joan de Déu, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. Electronic address: fvillarroya@ub.edu.
authors.forename: Francesc
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Villarroya
mesh_terms: D000069796:Adipose Tissue, Beige / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D002001:Adipose Tissue, Brown / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D005768:Gastrointestinal Hormones / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D015398:Signal Transduction; D022722:Thermogenesis; D013963:Thyroid Hormones / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D005768:Gastrointestinal Hormones; D013963:Thyroid Hormones
keywords: beige adipose tissue; brown adipose tissue; obesity; thermogenesis