Endocrinology and Metabolism

Review Article

Diabetes, obesity and metabolism
Brown Fat and Metabolic Health: The Diverse Functions of Dietary Components: Zachary Brown, Takeshi Yoneshiro; Endocrinol Metab. 2024;39(6):839-846. Published online November 20, 2024; DOI: https://doi.org/10.3803/EnM.2024.2121

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Brown and beige adipocytes utilize a variety of substrates for cold-induced thermogenesis, contributing to the clearance of metabolites in circulation and, consequently, metabolic health. Food-derived compounds that exhibit agonistic activity at temperature-sensitive transient receptor potential channels may serve as cold mimics to elicit thermogenesis and substrate utilization in brown adipose tissue (BAT). In addition to fatty acids and glucose, branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs), which are essential amino acids obtained from foods, are actively catabolized in BAT through mitochondrial BCAA carrier (MBC). The relative contribution of BCAAs to fueling the tricarboxylic acid cycle as a substrate (i.e., anaplerosis) is estimated to be relatively small, yet BCAA catabolism in BAT exerts a critical role in systemic insulin sensitivity. The nature of this apparent tension remained unclear until the recent discovery that active BCAA catabolism in BAT through MBC is critical for the synthesis of metabolites such as glutathione, which is delivered to the liver to improve hepatic insulin sensitivity through redox homeostasis. Novel mechanistic insights into the control of BAT function and systemic metabolism reveal the therapeutic potential of food-derived compounds for improving metabolic flexibility and insulin sensitivity.

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Bioactive Phytoconstituents Targeting Energy Expenditure and Appetite to Combat Obesity: A Comprehensive Review
Gayatri Thapa, Pervej Alom Barbhuiya, Manash Pratim Pathak
Current Nutrition Reports.2026;[Epub] CrossRef
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Alfredo Miranda-Martínez, Erika Rodríguez-Martínez, Pamela Barragán-Reséndiz, Selva Rivas-Arancibia
Physiologia.2025; 5(4): 50. CrossRef

Original Article

Intermuscular Adipose Tissue Content and Intramyocellular Lipid Fatty Acid Saturation Are Associated with Glucose Homeostasis in Middle-Aged and Older Adults: Jung Eun Kim, Keagan Dunville, Junjie Li, Ji Xin Cheng, Travis B. Conley, Cortni S. Couture, Wayne W. Campbell; Endocrinol Metab. 2017;32(2):257-264. Published online May 29, 2017; DOI: https://doi.org/10.3803/EnM.2017.32.2.257

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Abstract PDF Supplementary Material PubReader

Background

Insulin resistance is associated with the higher content of intermuscular adipose tissue (IMAT) and the saturation of intramyocellular lipid (IMCL), but a paucity of data exist in humans. This study examined associations among IMAT content, IMCL saturation, and fasting glucose concentration in middle-aged and older adults with overweight or obesity.

Methods

Seventy-five subjects (26 males, 49 females) were recruited and thigh muscle and IMAT were assessed using magnetic resonance imaging. Vastus lateralis tissue was acquired from a subset of nine subjects and IMCL content and saturation were assessed using nonlinear dual complex microscopy.

Results

The characteristics of the 75 subjects were as follows: age 59±11 years, body mass index 30±5 kg/m², fasting glucose concentration 5.2±0.5 mmol/L, fasting insulin concentration 12.2±7.3 µU/mL, fasting homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) 2.9±2.0 (mean±SD). IMAT to muscle tissue (MT) volume ratio was positively associated with the saturated fatty acid to unsaturated fatty acid ratio in IMCL. IMAT:MT was positively associated with fasting glucose concentration and HOMA-IR. IMCL saturation was positively associated with fasting glucose concentration while muscle cell area, IMCL area, and % IMCL in muscle cell were not associated with fasting glucose concentration.

Conclusion

These results indicate that higher intermuscular fat content and IMCL saturation may impact fasting glucose concentration in middle-aged and older adults with overweight or obesity. The centralization of adipose tissue in the appendicular region of the body may promote insulin resistance.

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