Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) are a group of signaling molecules that belong to the TGF-? superfamily. Initially discovered for their ability induce bone formation, BMPs known play diverse and critical array biological roles. We here focus on recent evidence showing BMP4 is an important regulator white/beige adipogenic differentiation with consequences thermogenesis, energy homeostasis, de...

In the past, we showed that large electrolytic lesions of the dorsomedial hypothalamus (DMH) promoted hypothermia in cold-exposed restrained rats, but attenuated hypothermia in rats challenged with a high dose of bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in a thermogradient apparatus. The goal of this study was to identify the thermoeffector mechanisms and DMH representation of the two phenomena and t...

The β3-adrenergic receptor (AR) signaling pathway is a major component of adaptive thermogenesis in brown and white adipose tissue during cold acclimation. The β3-AR signaling highly induces the expression of transcriptional coactivator PGC-1α and its splice variant N-terminal (NT)-PGC-1α, which in turn activate the transcription program of adaptive thermogenesis by co-activating a number of tr...

The study of adipose tissue has gained increasing importance in the biomedical area due to its implications for health and obesity. Obesity is a situation great concern mainly Western world high prevalence morbidity. Experimental studies on obesity often need model where it possible carry out experiments, drug testing, other therapeutic procedures, which are typically not humans. Although sever...

The maintenance of normal body mass is achieved by complex mechanisms, which involve a close interaction between feedingrelated and thermoregulatory processes in mammals (Fig. 1). The balance between energy intake and total energy expenditure is crucial to maintain the optimal body mass. Food intake can be stimulated by different factors, which are directly (e.g., fasting, hunger, food cues) or...