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Brown adipose tissue and bone

International Journal of Obesity Supplements volume 5, pages S23–S27 (2015)Cite this article

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Abstract

Brown adipose tissue (BAT) is capable of transforming chemically stored energy, in the form of triglycerides, into heat. Recent studies have shown that metabolically active BAT is present in a large proportion of adult humans, where its activity correlates with a favorable metabolic status. Hence, the tissue is now regarded as an interesting target for therapies against obesity and associated diseases such as type 2 diabetes, the hypothesis being that an induction of BAT would be beneficial for these disease states. Apart from the association between BAT activity and a healthier metabolic status, later studies have also shown a positive correlation between BAT volume and both bone cross-sectional area and bone mineral density, suggesting that BAT might stimulate bone anabolism. The aim of this review is to give the reader a brief overview of the BAT research field and to summarize and discuss recent findings regarding BAT being a potential player in bone metabolism.

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Acknowledgements

MEL is supported by the Swedish Research Council (2013-4466). SE is supported by the Swedish Research Council (2012-1652 and 2014-2516), The Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation, Sahlgrenska’s University Hospital (LUA-ALF), European Union grants (HEALTH-F2-2011-278373; DIABAT), the Inga Britt and Arne Lundgren Foundation, the Söderberg Foundation, and the King Gustaf V and Queen Victoria Freemason Foundation.

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This article is published as part of a supplement sponsored by the Université Laval’s Research Chair in Obesity, in an effort to inform the public on the causes, consequences, treatments and prevention of obesity.

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  1. Department of Medical and Clinical Genetics, Institute of Biomedicine, The Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden

    M E Lidell & S Enerbäck

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Correspondence to S Enerbäck.

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MEL and SE declare no conflicts of interest.

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Lidell, M., Enerbäck, S. Brown adipose tissue and bone. Int J Obes Supp 5 (Suppl 1), S23–S27 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1038/ijosup.2015.7

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