褐色脂肪细胞的发育来源研究进展

Advances in the developmental origin of brown adipocyte

褐色脂肪组织(brown adipose tissue,BAT)由富含线粒体、特异性表达解耦联蛋白的褐色脂肪细胞构成,具有增强产热、拮抗实验动物肥胖的作用。长期以来,成年人体不存在功能性BAT的错误认识严重地阻碍了BAT在人类肥胖防治中的应用。近年来的研究不仅明确了成年人体存在功能性BAT,证实白色脂肪组织在某些环境因素作用下可褐变(出现浅褐色脂肪细胞),而且在经典褐色脂肪细胞以及浅褐色脂肪细胞的发育来源方面也取得了突破性进展,使BAT再次成为研究热点。就这些进展作一综述,为以BAT为靶点探索肥胖防治措施提供科学依据。

Brown adipose tissue （BAT） is mainly composed of brown adipocytes, which contain a large number of mitochondria and express uncoupling protein. BAT functions to bum lipids to produce heat. The role of BAT in combating animal obesity is well established. However, a generally accepted dogma that BAT is not present in adult has impeded the application of BAT in control of human obesity. In recent years, interest in this tissue has re- emerged due to the realization of active brown adipose tissue in adults and the inducible brown adipose tissue in white adipose tissue depots in response to appropriate stimuli （browning process）, as well as the great progress in the developmental origin of classic brown adipocyte, and brite adipocyte. This review will focus on these recent ad- vances to provide evidence for strategy of prevention and treatment of obesity by targeting the BAT.