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Review
. 2023 Sep 20;15(18):4072.
doi: 10.3390/nu15184072.

Brown Fat and Nutrition: Implications for Nutritional Interventions

Lloyd Noriega  1 , Cheng-Ying Yang  1 , Chih-Hao Wang  1   2
Affiliations
Review

Brown Fat and Nutrition: Implications for Nutritional Interventions

Lloyd Noriega et al. Nutrients. .

Abstract

Brown and beige adipocytes are renowned for their unique ability to generate heat through a mechanism known as thermogenesis. This process can be induced by exposure to cold, hormonal signals, drugs, and dietary factors. The activation of these thermogenic adipocytes holds promise for improving glucose metabolism, reducing fat accumulation, and enhancing insulin sensitivity. However, the translation of preclinical findings into effective clinical therapies poses challenges, warranting further research to identify the molecular mechanisms underlying the differentiation and function of brown and beige adipocytes. Consequently, research has focused on the development of drugs, such as mirabegron, ephedrine, and thyroid hormone, that mimic the effects of cold exposure to activate brown fat activity. Additionally, nutritional interventions have been explored as an alternative approach to minimize potential side effects. Brown fat and beige fat have emerged as promising targets for addressing nutritional imbalances, with the potential to develop strategies for mitigating the impact of metabolic diseases. Understanding the influence of nutritional factors on brown fat activity can facilitate the development of strategies to promote its activation and mitigate metabolic disorders.

Keywords: UCP1; beige adipose tissue; brown adipose tissue; diabetes; fatty liver disease; metabolic diseases; mitochondria dysfunction; nutritional interventions; obesity; white adipose tissue.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Differences between white, beige, and brown adipocytes. White adipocyte has large lipid droplets than beige/brown adipocytes, while the number of mitochondria is moderate to high in beige/brown adipocytes. Additionally, UCP1 expression is much lower in white adipocytes compared to beige/brown adipocytes. White adipocyte provides thermal insulation, and beige/brown adipocytes exert thermogenesis to maintain the body temperature.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Molecular pathways involved in dietary supplements for BAT activation. Differential pathways initiated by various nutrients affect the functions of BAT, including glucose utilization, mitochondrial biogenesis, thermogenesis, and lipid metabolism. Abbreviations: NO, nitric oxide; VDR, vitamin D receptor; FATP1, fatty acid transport protein 1; CD36, cluster of differentiation 36; mTOR, mammalian target of rapamycin; cAMP, cyclic adenosine monophosphate; PKA, protein kinase A; JAK/STAT3, Janus kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3; IRF7, IFN regulatory factor 7; AMPK, AMP-activated protein kinase; SIRT1, Sirtuin 1; HK, hexokinase; GLUT1, glucose transporter 1; GLUT4, glucose transporter 4; PGC1α, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1-alpha; NRF1/2, nuclear respiratory factor 1/2; mtTFA, mitochondrial transcription factor A; UCP1, uncoupling Protein 1; PRDM16, PR domain containing 16; CIDEA, cell death inducing DFFA like effector A; HSL; hormone-sensitive lipase; CTP1A, Carnitine palmitoyl transferase 1 A; ELOVL3, elongation of very long chain fatty acids protein 3.
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Grants and funding

This work was supported by grants from the National Science and Technology Council, Taiwan (MOST110-2320-B-039-063-MY3 and NSTC112-2320-B-039-023-MY3), and intramural fundings (CMU109-YTY-01 and 10951M1) from China Medical University, Taiwan. This work was also financially supported by the “Drug Development Center, China Medical University” from The Featured Areas Research Center Program within the framework of the Higher Education Sprout Project by the Ministry of Education (MOE) in Taiwan.

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