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JAN / FEB 2017
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Healthcare Journal of Baton Rouge
Obesityresultswhenwe consume
more energy, or calories, than we expend,
but underlying mechanisms have many
factors.
Brown adipose tissue (BAT), or brown fat,
burns calories in order to generate heat and
maintain body temperature. Leptin, a hor-
mone produced by fat cells, plays a part in
the process of heat generation, also called
thermogenesis. It is a crucial and powerful
hormone in keeping body weight normal.
Past research shows that leptin receptors in
specific brain regions regulate the amount
of energy expended, body weight and food
intake.
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Research
Researchers are honing in on how brown
adipose tissue can be used to burn fat more
effectively. A team of scientists from LSU’s
Pennington Biomedical Research Center
with colleagues from Tulane University
sought to determine the role of leptin re-
ceptor expressing neurons in distinct brain
areas in energy homeostasis. Previous re-
search discovered brown adipose tissue
(BAT)-induced thermogenesis as a prom-
ising therapeutic target to treat obesity and
With escalating obesity rates facing our
state and nation, there is a need for a
deeper understanding of the mechanisms
that modulate body weight.
Turning up the
Heat
on Obesity
Brown adipose tissue (BAT)-induced heat
could be a promising therapy to treat obesity
and metabolic diseases, according to new research
Advances in Health
Research from
Pennington Biomedical
Research Center