The high prevalence of obesity and related metabolic complications has inspired research on adipose tissues. Three kinds of adipose tissues are identified in mammals: brown adipose tissue (BAT), beige or brite adipose tissue and white adipose tissue (WAT). Beige adipocytes share some characteristics with brown adipocytes such as the expression of UCP1. Beige adipocytes can be activated by environmental stimuli or pharmacological treatment, and this change is accompanied by an increase in energy consumption. This process is called white browning, and it facilitates the maintenance of a lean and healthy phenotype. Thus, promoting beige adipocyte development in WAT shows promise as a new strategy in treating obesity and related metabolic consequences. In this review, we summarized the current understanding of the regulators and hormones that participate in the development of brown fat and white fat browning.

Department of Endocrinology Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated with Shandong University Jinan Shandong P R China and Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Endocrinology and Lipid Metabolism Jinan Shandong P R China

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Brown fat activity determined by infrared thermography and thermogenesis measurement using whole body calorimetry (BRIGHT Study)