The newly described uncoupling proteins, UCP2 and UCP3, may play a role in regulating energy expenditure (EE) in humans. GH deficiency (GHD) is associated with decreased lean body mass, increased adiposity, and reduced EE, which are reversed by GH treatment. In the present study we investigated whether GH treatment for 4 months influenced the expression of UCPs in skeletal muscle and adipose ti...

UNLABELLED Ephedrine/caffeine combination (EC) has been shown to induce a small-to-moderate weight loss in obese patients. Several mechanisms have been proposed, among which an increased thermogenic capacity of skeletal muscle consequent to the EC-induced up-regulation of uncoupling protein 3 (UCP3) gene expression. We did a parallel group double-blind, placebo-controlled, 4-week trial to inves...

Mitochondria use energy derived from fuel combustion to create a proton electrochemical gradient across the mitochondrial inner membrane. This intermediate form of energy is then used by ATP synthase to synthesize ATP. Uncoupling protein-1 (UCP1) is a brown fat-specific mitochondrial inner membrane protein with proton transport activity. UCP1 catalyzes a highly regulated proton leak, converting...

Objective: The mitochondrial uncoupling proteins (UCPs) are involved in body weight regulation and glucose homeostasis. Genetic variants in the UCP2-UCP3 gene cluster, located on chromosome 11q13, may play a significant role in the development of type 2 diabetes (T2D). Research Design And Methods: We conducted a comprehensive assessment of common single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) at the 70...

Animal and plant uncoupling protein (UCP) homologues form a subfamily of mitochondrial carriers that are evolutionarily related and possibly derived from a proton/anion transporter ancestor. The brown adipose tissue (BAT) UCP1 has a marked and strongly regulated uncoupling activity, essential to the maintenance of body temperature in small mammals. UCP homologues identified in plants are induce...

Uncoupling protein (UCP) 3 is a mitochondrial inner membrane protein implicated in lipid handling and metabolism of reactive oxygen species. Its transcription is mainly regulated by peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPAR), a family of nuclear hormone receptors. Employing bandshift assays, RNA interference and reporter gene assays we examine an intronic region in the UCP3 gene harbori...

In humans, β-adrenergic stimulation increases energy and fat metabolism. In case of β1stimulation, this is fuelled by an increased lipolysis. We examined the effect of β2-adrenergic stimulation, with and without a blocker of lipolysis, on thermogenesis and substrate oxidation. Furthermore, the effect of β1and β2-adrenergic stimulation on UCP3 mRNA expression was studied. Nine lean males receive...