Brown adipose tissue whitening leads to brown adipocyte death and adipose tissue inflammation.

In mammals, white adipose tissue (WAT) stores and releases lipids, whereas brown adipose tissue (BAT) oxidizes lipids to fuel thermogenesis. In obese individuals, WAT undergoes profound changes; it expands, becomes dysfunctional, and develops a low-grade inflammatory state. Importantly, BAT content and activity decline in obese subjects, mainly as a result of the conversion of brown adipocytes to white-like unilocular cells.

p53 regulates expression of uncoupling protein 1 through binding and repression of PPARγ coactivator-1α.

The tumor suppressor p53 (TRP53 in mice) is known for its involvement in carcinogenesis, but work during recent years has underscored the importance of p53 in the regulation of whole body metabolism. A general notion is that p53 is necessary for efficient oxidative metabolism. The importance of UCP1-dependent uncoupled respiration and increased oxidation of glucose and fatty acids in brown or brown-like adipocytes, termed brite or beige, in relation to energy balance and homeostasis has been highlighted recently.

Adipsin is an adipokine that improves β cell function in diabetes.

A hallmark of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is the development of pancreatic β cell failure, which results in insulinopenia and hyperglycemia. We show that the adipokine adipsin has a beneficial role in maintaining β cell function. Animals genetically lacking adipsin have glucose intolerance due to insulinopenia; isolated islets from these mice have reduced glucose-stimulated insulin secretion.

Factors increasing physical activity levels in diabetes mellitus: a survey of patients after an inpatient diabetes education program.

[Purpose] The aim of this study was to understand the factors involved in increasing physical activity levels in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients for improved glycemic control. [Subjects] The subjects were 101 type 2 diabetes mellitus patients who had completed an inpatient diabetes education program. [Methods] The survey evaluated physical activity levels on the basis of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire and a questionnaire listing physical and psychosocial factors.

Increased density of inhibitory noradrenergic parenchymal nerve fibers in hypertrophic islets of Langerhans of obese mice.

Background And Aim: We sought to identify mechanisms of beta cell failure in genetically obese mice. Little is known about the role of pancreatic innervation in the progression of beta cell failure. In this work we studied adrenergic innervation, in view of its potent inhibitory effect on insulin secretion.