AJP - Endo Add DOIs to your references at manuscript stage!
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH
 QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     


Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab (May 1, 2007). doi:10.1152/ajpendo.00691.2006
This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow All Versions of this Article:
293/2/E444    most recent
00691.2006v1
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Nedergaard, J.
Right arrow Articles by Cannon, B.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Nedergaard, J.
Right arrow Articles by Cannon, B.
Submitted on December 18, 2006
Accepted on April 23, 2007

Unexpected Evidence for Active Brown Adipose Tissue in Adult Humans

Jan Nedergaard1*, Tore Bengtsson1, and Barbara Cannon1

1 Stockholm University, The Wenner-Gren Institute, Stockholm, Sweden

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: jan{at}metabol.su.se.

The contention that brown adipose tissue is absent in adult man has meant that processes attributed to brown adipose tissue in experimental animals (mainly rodents)--i.e. classical nonshivering thermogenesis, adaptive adrenergic thermogenesis, diet-induced thermogenesis, anti-obesity--should be either absent or attributed to alternative (unknown) mechanisms in man. However, serendipidously, as a consequence of the use of fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG PET) to trace tumor metastasis, observations that may change that notion have recently been made. These tomography scans have visualised symmetrical areas of increased tracer uptake in upper parts of the human body; these areas of uptake correspond to brown adipose tissue. We examine here the published observations from a viewpoint of human physiology. The human depots are somewhat differently located from those in rodents, the main depots being found in the supraclavicular and neck regions with some additional paravertebral, mediastinal, para-aortic and suprarenal localizations (but no interscapular). Brown adipose tissue activity in man is acutely cold-induced, and is stimulated via the sympathetic nervous system. The prevalence of active brown adipose tissue in normal adult man can only be indirectly estimated but it would seem that the prevalence of brown adipose tissue in the population may be at least in the range of some tens of percent. We conclude that a substantial fraction of adult humans possess active brown adipose tissue which thus has the potential to be of metabolic significance for normal human physiology, as well as to become pharmaceutically activated in efforts to combat obesity.




This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
J. Appl. Physiol.Home page
J. M. Gimble and Z. E. Floyd
Fat circadian biology
J Appl Physiol, November 1, 2009; 107(5): 1629 - 1637.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Am. J. Physiol. Endocrinol. Metab.Home page
S. Cinti
Transdifferentiation properties of adipocytes in the adipose organ
Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab, November 1, 2009; 297(5): E977 - E986.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Mol. Cell. Biol.Home page
C. Vernochet, S. B. Peres, K. E. Davis, M. E. McDonald, L. Qiang, H. Wang, P. E. Scherer, and S. R. Farmer
C/EBP{alpha} and the Corepressors CtBP1 and CtBP2 Regulate Repression of Select Visceral White Adipose Genes during Induction of the Brown Phenotype in White Adipocytes by Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor {gamma} Agonists
Mol. Cell. Biol., September 1, 2009; 29(17): 4714 - 4728.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Pharmacol. Rev.Home page
A. A. Romanovsky, M. C. Almeida, A. Garami, A. A. Steiner, M. H. Norman, S. F. Morrison, K. Nakamura, J. J. Burmeister, and T. B. Nucci
The Transient Receptor Potential Vanilloid-1 Channel in Thermoregulation: A Thermosensor It Is Not
Pharmacol. Rev., September 1, 2009; 61(3): 228 - 261.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Am. J. Roentgenol.Home page
S. Paidisetty and T. M. Blodgett
Brown Fat: Atypical Locations and Appearances Encountered in PET/CT
Am. J. Roentgenol., August 1, 2009; 193(2): 359 - 366.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
J. Biol. Chem.Home page
A. Karamitri, A. M. Shore, K. Docherty, J. R. Speakman, and M. A. Lomax
Combinatorial Transcription Factor Regulation of the Cyclic AMP-response Element on the Pgc-1{alpha} Promoter in White 3T3-L1 and Brown HIB-1B Preadipocytes
J. Biol. Chem., July 31, 2009; 284(31): 20738 - 20752.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Circ Cardiovasc ImagingHome page
P. M. Rao, P. K. Woodard, G. A. Patterson, and L. R. Peterson
Myocardial Metastasis or Benign Brown Fat?
Circ Cardiovasc Imaging, July 1, 2009; 2(4): e25 - e27.
[Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
DiabetesHome page
P. Seale and M. A. Lazar
Brown Fat in Humans: Turning up the Heat on Obesity
Diabetes, July 1, 2009; 58(7): 1482 - 1484.
[Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
DiabetesHome page
M. Saito, Y. Okamatsu-Ogura, M. Matsushita, K. Watanabe, T. Yoneshiro, J. Nio-Kobayashi, T. Iwanaga, M. Miyagawa, T. Kameya, K. Nakada, et al.
High Incidence of Metabolically Active Brown Adipose Tissue in Healthy Adult Humans: Effects of Cold Exposure and Adiposity
Diabetes, July 1, 2009; 58(7): 1526 - 1531.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
J. Lipid Res.Home page
K. M. Wojtanik, K. Edgemon, S. Viswanadha, B. Lindsey, M. Haluzik, W. Chen, G. Poy, M. Reitman, and C. Londos
The role of LMNA in adipose: a novel mouse model of lipodystrophy based on the Dunnigan-type familial partial lipodystrophy mutation
J. Lipid Res., June 1, 2009; 50(6): 1068 - 1079.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Am. J. Physiol. Regul. Integr. Comp. Physiol.Home page
W. T. Festuccia, P.-G. Blanchard, V. Turcotte, M. Laplante, M. Sariahmetoglu, D. N. Brindley, D. Richard, and Y. Deshaies
The PPAR{gamma} agonist rosiglitazone enhances rat brown adipose tissue lipogenesis from glucose without altering glucose uptake
Am J Physiol Regulatory Integrative Comp Physiol, May 1, 2009; 296(5): R1327 - R1335.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Am. J. Physiol. Regul. Integr. Comp. Physiol.Home page
J. L. Grobe, M. Venegas-Pont, C. D. Sigmund, and M. J. Ryan
PPAR{gamma} differentially regulates energy substrate handling in brown vs. white adipose: focus on "The PPAR{gamma} agonist rosiglitazone enhances rat brown adipose tissue lipogenesis from glucose without altering glucose uptake"
Am J Physiol Regulatory Integrative Comp Physiol, May 1, 2009; 296(5): R1325 - R1326.
[Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
NEJMHome page
W. D. van Marken Lichtenbelt, J. W. Vanhommerig, N. M. Smulders, J. M.A.F.L. Drossaerts, G. J. Kemerink, N. D. Bouvy, P. Schrauwen, and G.J. J. Teule
Cold-Activated Brown Adipose Tissue in Healthy Men
N. Engl. J. Med., April 9, 2009; 360(15): 1500 - 1508.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
NEJMHome page
A. M. Cypess, S. Lehman, G. Williams, I. Tal, D. Rodman, A. B. Goldfine, F. C. Kuo, E. L. Palmer, Y.-H. Tseng, A. Doria, et al.
Identification and Importance of Brown Adipose Tissue in Adult Humans
N. Engl. J. Med., April 9, 2009; 360(15): 1509 - 1517.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
NEJMHome page
K. A. Virtanen, M. E. Lidell, J. Orava, M. Heglind, R. Westergren, T. Niemi, M. Taittonen, J. Laine, N.-J. Savisto, S. Enerback, et al.
Functional Brown Adipose Tissue in Healthy Adults
N. Engl. J. Med., April 9, 2009; 360(15): 1518 - 1525.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Genes Dev.Home page
P. Seale, S. Kajimura, and B. M. Spiegelman
Transcriptional control of brown adipocyte development and physiological function--of mice and men
Genes & Dev., April 1, 2009; 23(7): 788 - 797.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Am. J. Physiol. Regul. Integr. Comp. Physiol.Home page
C. J. Madden and S. F. Morrison
Neurons in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus inhibit sympathetic outflow to brown adipose tissue
Am J Physiol Regulatory Integrative Comp Physiol, March 1, 2009; 296(3): R831 - R843.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
J Am Coll Cardiol ImgHome page
E. Falk, T. Thim, and I. B. Kristensen
Atherosclerotic plaque, adventitia, perivascular fat, and carotid imaging.
J. Am. Coll. Cardiol. Img., February 1, 2009; 2(2): 183 - 186.
[Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Am. J. Physiol. Regul. Integr. Comp. Physiol.Home page
M. Laplante, W. T. Festuccia, G. Soucy, P.-G. Blanchard, A. Renaud, J. P. Berger, G. Olivecrona, and Y. Deshaies
Tissue-specific postprandial clearance is the major determinant of PPAR{gamma}-induced triglyceride lowering in the rat
Am J Physiol Regulatory Integrative Comp Physiol, January 1, 2009; 296(1): R57 - R66.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Am. J. Physiol. Regul. Integr. Comp. Physiol.Home page
C. K. Song, C. H. Vaughan, E. Keen-Rhinehart, R. B. S. Harris, D. Richard, and T. J. Bartness
Melanocortin-4 receptor mRNA expressed in sympathetic outflow neurons to brown adipose tissue: neuroanatomical and functional evidence
Am J Physiol Regulatory Integrative Comp Physiol, August 1, 2008; 295(2): R417 - R428.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Exp PhysiolHome page
S. F. Morrison, K. Nakamura, and C. J. Madden
Central control of thermogenesis in mammals
Exp Physiol, July 1, 2008; 93(7): 773 - 797.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Genes Dev.Home page
S. R. Farmer
Molecular determinants of brown adipocyte formation and function
Genes & Dev., May 15, 2008; 22(10): 1269 - 1275.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
J. Physiol.Home page
K. Nakamura and S. F. Morrison
Preoptic mechanism for cold-defensive responses to skin cooling
J. Physiol., May 15, 2008; 586(10): 2611 - 2620.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Am. J. Physiol. Regul. Integr. Comp. Physiol.Home page
N. A. Brito, M. N. Brito, and T. J. Bartness
Differential sympathetic drive to adipose tissues after food deprivation, cold exposure or glucoprivation
Am J Physiol Regulatory Integrative Comp Physiol, May 1, 2008; 294(5): R1445 - R1452.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Mol. Cell. Biol.Home page
H. Wang, Y. Zhang, E. Yehuda-Shnaidman, A. V. Medvedev, N. Kumar, K. W. Daniel, J. Robidoux, M. P. Czech, D. J. Mangelsdorf, and S. Collins
Liver X Receptor {alpha} Is a Transcriptional Repressor of the Uncoupling Protein 1 Gene and the Brown Fat Phenotype
Mol. Cell. Biol., April 1, 2008; 28(7): 2187 - 2200.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
J ANIM SCIHome page
M. Lorenzo, S. Fernandez-Veledo, R. Vila-Bedmar, L. Garcia-Guerra, C. De Alvaro, and I. Nieto-Vazquez
Insulin resistance induced by tumor necrosis factor-{alpha} in myocytes and brown adipocytes
J Anim Sci, April 1, 2008; 86(14_suppl): E94 - E104.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Am. J. Physiol. Endocrinol. Metab.Home page
A. Molfino, F. Rossi Fanelli, and A. Laviano
Sympathetic nervous system activity may link hyperphagia and fat deposition in human obesity
Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab, October 1, 2007; 293(4): E1129 - E1129.
[Full Text] [PDF]




HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH
Visit Other APS Journals Online
Copyright © 2007 by the American Physiological Society.