科學家們已經(jīng)部分揭示了脂肪細胞是如何轉(zhuǎn)變?yōu)槿紵裏峥ǖ淖厣镜?，該種脂肪在醫(yī)學上被稱作棕色脂肪組織,，它們和與肥胖有關(guān)的白色脂肪不同。白色脂肪組織用我們的身體（特別是我們的腹部和大腿）作為其大型的儲存單位,。這些發(fā)現(xiàn)可幫助研究人員通過增加人們的棕色脂肪的儲存來研發(fā)對抗肥胖癥以及與肥胖癥相關(guān)的疾病的方法,，并甚至可能令其更快地燃燒熱卡。
專題：Science系列
如今,，Alexandros Vegiopoulos及其同僚發(fā)現(xiàn),，一種叫做COX-2的酶可觸發(fā)小鼠的發(fā)育中的脂肪細胞變成棕色脂肪,，而非白色脂肪。研究人員發(fā)現(xiàn),，通過遺傳工程而可產(chǎn)生高濃度的COX-2的小鼠可更快地燃燒脂肪,，它們還可受到保護而不會發(fā)生飲食所誘導的肥胖癥。COX-2對體內(nèi)生成前列腺素這種荷爾蒙樣的物質(zhì)是至關(guān)重要的,，該物質(zhì)會參與健康身體所需要的范圍廣泛的功能,，其中包括免疫系統(tǒng)的調(diào)節(jié)。一篇相關(guān)的Perspective對這些發(fā)現(xiàn)進行了討論,。（生物谷Bioon.com）
SLEEP：睡眠不足易導致女性腰腹部肥胖
PNAS：肥胖基因變異與腦萎縮有關(guān)
Nature：解析肥胖基因的蛋白結(jié)構(gòu)
Nature：嚴重肥胖可能由成段基因缺失導致
ISME Journal：基因與飲食和肥胖的關(guān)系
生物谷推薦原文出處：
Science DOI: 10.1126/science.1186034
Cyclooxygenase-2 Controls Energy Homeostasis in Mice by de Novo Recruitment of Brown Adipocytes
Alexandros Vegiopoulos,1,* Karin Müller-Decker,2,* Daniela Strzoda,1 Iris Schmitt,1 Evgeny Chichelnitskiy,1 Anke Ostertag,1 Mauricio Berriel Diaz,1 Jan Rozman,3 Martin Hrabe de Angelis,3 Rolf M. Nüsing,4 Carola W. Meyer,5 Walter Wahli,6 Martin Klingenspor,7 Stephan Herzig1,
Obesity results from chronic energy surplus and excess lipid storage in white adipose tissue (WAT). In contrast, brown adipose tissue (BAT) efficiently burns lipids through adaptive thermogenesis. Studying mouse models, we show that cyclooxygenase (COX)–2, a rate-limiting enzyme in prostaglandin (PG) synthesis, is a downstream effector of β-adrenergic signaling in WAT and is required for the induction of BAT in WAT depots. PG shifted the differentiation of defined mesenchymal progenitors toward a brown adipocyte phenotype. Overexpression of COX-2 in WAT induced de novo BAT recruitment in WAT, increased systemic energy expenditure, and protected mice against high-fat diet–induced obesity. Thus, COX-2 appears integral to de novo BAT recruitment, suggesting that the PG pathway regulates systemic energy homeostasis.
1 Emmy Noether and Marie Curie Research Group Molecular Metabolic Control, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) Heidelberg, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
2 Core Facility Tumor Models, DKFZ-ZMBH Alliance, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) Heidelberg, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
3 Institute of Experimental Genetics, Helmholtz Center Munich, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany.
4 Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University, 60590 Frankfurt, Germany.
5 Department of Animal Physiology, Philipps University Marburg, 35043 Marburg, Germany.
6 Center for Integrative Genomics, National Research Center Frontiers in Genetics, University of Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
7 Molecular Nutritional Medicine, Else-Kr?ner Fresenius Center, Technische Universit?t München, 85350 Freising-Weihenstephan, Germany.
