Key result
UCP1 expression in subcutaneous adipose tissue is negatively correlated with BMI z-score and adipocyte size in infants and children, serving as an early indicator of adipose tissue expansion.
Why the study?
It remained unclear whether a relevant number of uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1)-expressing adipocytes exist in early postnatal life.
Observational
The absence of UCP1 expression in subcutaneous adipose tissue is an early indicator of adipose tissue expansion and obesity risk in children.
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
May support UCP1 as early adipose marker in children; hypothesis-generating and requires prospective validation.
Stimulation of thermogenesis by inducing uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) expression in adipocytes is thought to promote weight loss by increasing energy expenditure, and it is postulated that the human newborn has thermogenic subcutaneous fat depots. However, it remains unclear whether a relevant number of UCP1-expressing (UCP1+) adipocytes exist in the early postnatal life. Here we studied the distribution of UCP1 and the expression of thermogenic genes in the subcutaneous adipose tissues of the human fetus, infant and child. We show that the deep layer of human fetal and neonatal subcutaneous fat, particularly the abdominal wall, is rich in UCP1+ adipocytes. These adipocytes develop in the late third trimester and persist throughout childhood, expressing a panel of genes linked to mitochondrial biogenesis and thermogenesis. During the early childhood adiposity rebound—a critical phase that determines obesity risk later in life—the absence of adipose tissue UCP1 expression in children with normal body mass index (BMI) correlates with an obesity-associated gene expression signature. Finally, UCP1 expression is negatively correlated with BMI z-score and adipocyte size in infants and children. Overall, our results show that the absence of UCP1 expression in adipose tissue is an early indicator of adipose tissue expansion in children.
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Gyurina et al. (2023) conducted an observational in Childhood Obesity. UCP1 expression in subcutaneous adipose tissue vs. Absence of UCP1 expression was evaluated on BMI z-score and adipocyte size. UCP1 expression in subcutaneous adipose tissue is negatively correlated with BMI z-score and adipocyte size in infants and children, serving as an early indicator of adipose tissue expansion.
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