NEW INSIGHTS INTO BROWN ADIPOSE TISSUE AS A PHARMACOLOGICAL TARGET IN OBESITY
ANA MARINA ANDREI 1#, ANCA BERBECARU-IOVAN 1#, FELIX RAREŞ IOAN DIN-ANGHEL 2, IOANA DANIELA BINIŞOR 2,3, ROXANA MARIA MARINESCU 2, LILIANA DALIA GOGA 2, ILEANA MONICA BANIȚĂ 4*, CĂTĂLINA GABRIELA PISOSCHI 1
1.2nd Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova, Romania
2.PhD Student, IOSUD University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova, Romania
3.Binisan Medical Center, Dragasani, Romania
4.Department of Morphological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova, Romania
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The adipose tissue is composed of at least two types of adipose cells – unilocular adipocytes in the white adipose tissue (WAT) and multilocular in brown adipose tissue (BAT). Accumulation of WAT in physiological depots leads to obesity and its known metabolic and cardiovascular consequences. Recently, it has been proved that BAT is metabolically active not only in new-borns but also in adult humans. Imaging and molecular studies revealed two varieties of BAT: constitutive (cBAT) and cells from WAT depots that could be activated – beige adipocytes forming the inducible BAT (iBAT). Activation of BAT thermogenesis is the main controller of the balance between energy intake (EI) and expenditure (EE). Non-pharmacological strategies based on reducing EI or increasing EE has been proved inefficient in the treatment of obesity and its related diseases because many subjects show poor adherence. Therefore, scientific interest for BAT is revived in order to develop new therapeutic strategies targeting adipose tissue metabolism alterations. In this paper we review recent data regarding the potential benefit of dietary factors and pharmacological agents in BAT activation and WAT browning as a strategy to treat obesity.
