Brown adipose tissue (BAT) is known to be responsible for heat production in newborn and adult hibernating mammals. In rats and mice, BAT has been demonstrated to possess a much higher glycerokinase activity than white adipose tissue (WAT). It has been speculated that this high activity may cause the futile cycle of triglyceride breakdown and resynthesis to be activated, thus contributing to he...

This review focuses on the contribution of white, brown, and perivascular adipose tissues to the pathophysiology of obesity and its associated metabolic and vascular complications. Weight gain in obesity generates excess of fat, usually visceral fat, and activates the inflammatory response in the adipocytes and then in other tissues such as liver. Therefore, low systemic inflammation responsibl...

Highly active antiretroviral therapy has remarkably improved quality of life of HIV-1-infected patients. However, this treatment has been associated with the so-called lipodystrophic syndrome, which conveys a number of adverse metabolic effects and morphological alterations. Among them, lipoatrophy of subcutaneous fat in certain anatomical areas and hypertrophy of visceral depots are the most c...

Brown adipose tissue (BAT) has profound effects on body weight and metabolism in rodents. Recent reports show that human adults have significant amounts of BAT. Our aim was to study the gene expression profile of human BAT. Biopsies of adipose tissue with brown-red color and subcutaneous white adipose tissue (WAT) were obtained from 24 patients undergoing surgery in the thyroid region. Intrasca...

We will review information about and present hypotheses as to the anatomy of brown adipose tissue (BAT). Why is it located where it is in humans? Its anatomical distribution is likely to confer survival value by protecting critical organs from hypothermia by adaptive thermogenesis. Ultimately, the location and function will be important when considering therapeutic strategies for preventing and...

Obesity remains a major biomedical challenge with its associated diseases, particularly insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes, imposing a substantial and increasing burden on health care systems. In the U.S., one-third of adults are classed as obese (BMI $30), while in the U.K., which has one of the highest incidence rates in Europe, 25% are obese. Conceptually, the treatment of obesity is sim...

White adipose tissue is recognized as both a site of energy storage and an endocrine organ that produces a myriad of endocrine factors called adipokines. Brown adipose tissue (BAT) is the main site of nonshivering thermogenesis in mammals. The amount and activity of brown adipocytes are associated with protection against obesity and associated metabolic alterations. These effects of BAT are tra...

Within the context of the biology of brown adipose tissue (BAT), a clear understanding of physiological and biochemical mechanisms requires a sound knowledge of the histology and ultrastructure of this fascinating tissue. Recent research interest in BAT has been concentrated on two aspects of its function in the body, namely non-shivering thermogenesis and diet-induced thermogenesis. Both these...

Membrane potentials were recorded in isolated segments of interscapular brown adipose tissue from rats. After equilibration at 29 degrees C in Krebs-Ringer bicarbonate buffer a mean value of -51 +/- 4 mv (SD) was found. This level could be maintained for up to 5 hr. The mean effective membrane resistance was 1.35 +/- 0.45 megohm. The membrane potential was a function of the extracellular potass...

Inorganic nitrate was once considered an oxidation end product of nitric oxide metabolism with little biological activity. However, recent studies have demonstrated that dietary nitrate can modulate mitochondrial function in man and is effective in reversing features of the metabolic syndrome in mice. Using a combined histological, metabolomics, and transcriptional and protein analysis approach...