Moscow University
Anthropology
Bulletin

BROWN ADIPOSE TISSUE IN HUMANS: PRESENCE AND ACTIVITY

Son’kin Valentine (1,2), Akimov Egor (1), Andreev Roman (2), Kalenov Yuriy (2), Kozlov Andrey (1), Yakushkin Andrey (1)

1) Russian State University of Physical Education, Sports, Youth and Tourism, Moscow, Russia; 2) Institute of Developmental Physiology, Russian Academy of Education, Moscow, Russia

Son’kin Valentine, e-mail: sonkin@mail.ru.

Abstract

Over the past 7 years the interest in brown adipose tissue (BAT) has increased dramatically due to several bright publications in which it was shown that active BAT is found not only in infants but also in 70–80% of adults. In animal models, the efficiency of BAT in the prevention of the obesity and type 2 diabetes has been proven. Therefore, when in January, 2012, a hormone IRISIN was discovered, which is produced by muscles during their activity and stimulates transformation of white fat cells into BAT cells or similar ones (“beige”ones), expectations have been raised on the use of certain therapeutic techniques for the increase in the amount of active BAT in adult humans. It is shown that the production of irisin in muscles occurs both at movement, and at thermogenic shivering in cold conditions. To date, it became apparent that there are at least three varieties of BAT, differing in origin (from different progenitor cells), in the ratio of active biochemical mechanisms and methods of activation. Moreover, it is clear that the amount of BAT in the body itself and even the content and activity of specific for BAT protein UCP1, uncoupling oxidation and phosphorylation, do not reflect the real functionality of the normalization of metabolic processes. It is likely (and this possibility has been widely discussed in the literature of the past two years) that, despite the unified mechanisms for energy dissipation, known today as 3 options BAT fundamentally differ in their function. According to one hypothesis, the original version of BAT, available in neonates and continuing in a small number of adults, provides thermal homeostasis; “Beige” version of BAT, formed under the influence of a muscle hormone irisin, is far more widespread and is involved in the maintenance of carbohydrate homeostasis and thus is a factor in the prevention of obesity and diabetes. The third option – “brite” – also, apparently, depends on the irisin influence, but is intended to solve the problem of homeostasis during intense muscular activity due to its ability to oxidize lactic acid. As far as the functioning of these options overlap and whether they can be compatible solutions for such different homeostatic problems is an issue to the further studies.

Keywords

brown adipose tissue; irisin; homeostasis; adult humans; functional activity

Цит.: Son’kin Valentine, Akimov Egor, Andreev Roman, Kalenov Yuriy, Kozlov Andrey, Yakushkin Andrey BROWN ADIPOSE TISSUE IN HUMANS: PRESENCE AND ACTIVITY // Moscow University Anthropology Bulletin (Vestnik Moskovskogo Universiteta. Seria XXIII. Antropologia), 2014; 3/2014; с. 135-135

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