This article is original to the Translational Medicine Network. Please indicate the source when reprinting. Author: Lily Introduction: Fat cells can be divided into "white" and "brown" - white fat cells are responsible for storing fat, and their weight accounts for about 15%-20%

2024/06/0917:46:32 science 1715

This article is original to the Translational Medicine Network. Please indicate the source when reprinting.

Author: Lily

Introduction: Fat cells can be divided into "white" and "brown" - white fat cells are responsible for storing fat, and their weight accounts for about 15% of the body's weight. -20%; Brown fat cells are human body heaters, responsible for consuming energy to produce heat, and are scattered sporadically in white adipose tissue. Recently, a study identified the key molecule that regulates the "burning" of brown fat - inosine , and discovered a drug that inhibits the work of the inosine transporter; this may bring new strategies for the treatment of obesity.

Generally speaking, the function of fat cells is to store energy. However, "brown fat cells" release energy by producing heat - thus, brown fat acts as a "heater" in the body. This mechanism exists in most mammals: they provide warmth to newborn babies; in adults, activation of brown fat is beneficial to cardiometabolic health.

With the changes in people's living environment and lifestyle, brown fat cells seem to be no longer needed and gradually "fade out" of the stage. Recently, in a study from the University of Bonn in Germany and other institutions, identified the key molecule that regulates the "burning" of brown fat - inosine, and discovered a drug that inhibits the work of the inosine transporter; this may provide new insights into obesity. treatment leads to new strategies. This research was published in the journal Nature on July 5.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-022-05041-0

Corresponding author of this study , Professor Alexander Pfeifer from the Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology at the University of Bonn explained: "Nowadays, even in winter , people can also enjoy enough warmth; therefore, we no longer need the 'stove' in our bodies. "At the same time, the food people eat is becoming more energy dense; compared with our ancestors, People are also becoming less physically active. These changes are detrimental to brown fat cells—they gradually stop working and eventually undergo apoptosis. On the other hand, the number of severely obese people continues to increase worldwide. Professor Pfeifer said: "Researchers around the world are therefore looking for substances that can activate brown fat and thereby accelerate fat burning."

"Dying" brown cells stimulate surrounding cells to consume energy

Currently, research from University of Bonn The team discovered a key molecule that can burn fat - inosine. Dr. Birte Niemann from the research team said: "We already know that cells approaching apoptosis release a series of messenger molecules to affect the cells around them. Therefore, we also wanted to know whether this molecular mechanism also exists In brown fat."

So the researchers subjected the brown fat cells to severe stress, bringing them almost to the point of "death." "We found that these apoptotic cells release large amounts of purine inosine," said Dr. Niemann. The way healthy brown fat cells respond to their apoptotic companions is also interesting - these released inosines activate healthy brown fat cells, which in turn ignites the "furnace" within healthy brown fat cells. In addition, white fat cells also transform into brown fat cells. Compared with the control group, mice on a high-energy diet maintained a slimmer figure after being given inosine, and the risk of developing diabetes was also relatively low.

In this process, the inosine transporter appears to be crucial - this transporter located on the cell membrane transports inosine into the cell, thereby reducing the concentration of the extracellular environment. Therefore, the concentration of inosine in the extracellular environment becomes smaller, which weakens the function of inosine in promoting the burning of brown fat cells.

Above: Brown adipocytes

Drugs that inhibit inosine transport

Professor Pfeifer said: "We found that a drug used to treat coagulation disorder can also inhibit the inosine transporter. We used this drug in mice. , and found that these mice burned more energy. "In humans, there is also an inosine transporter.Due to genetic variation, approximately 2%-4% of the population has less active inosine transporter expression. The study analyzed gene expression in 900 subjects and found that individuals with less inosine transporter had a "slender" figure.

These findings suggest that inosine regulates thermogenesis in human brown adipocytes. From this point of view, if there is a substance that can interfere with the work of the inosine transporter, it may be used in the treatment of obesity. Such drugs, used to treat coagulation disorders, may be a starting point. However, Professor Pfeifer said further trials in humans are needed to verify the pharmacological potential of this mechanism.

Pfeifer said: "No one will believe that just a small pill can solve the growing problem of obesity; however, currently available treatment options are not effective enough. Therefore, we urgently need effective drugs to help obesity Patients maintain a balanced energy expenditure."

The important role of this internal thermogenic system has also been confirmed by another important joint study - this study was approved by the German Research Foundation and sponsored by the University of Bonn, University of Hamburg and University of Munich collaborated to study brown adipose tissue.

Reference:

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-022-05041-0

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-07-molecule-boosts-fat.html

Note: This article is intended to introduce medicine Research progress cannot be used as a reference for treatment plans. If you need health guidance, please go to a regular hospital.