Impact of CETP expression on brown and beige adipose tissues and its contribution to the obesity control.

• Grant number: 15/17555-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Effective date (Start): April 01, 2016
• Effective date (End): September 30, 2020
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Physiology - Physiology of Organs and Systems
• Principal Investigator: Helena Coutinho Franco de Oliveira
• Grantee: Helena Fonseca Raposo
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biologia (IB). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 17/17728-8 - Mitochondrial function and dysfunction: implications for aging and associated diseases, AP.TEM

Abstract

The constant increase in obesity epidemic evidences the need of grater comprehension of the physiologic and molecular mechanisms to identify new targets for obesity control. Adipose tissue and its cells have been widely studied due to its relation to obesity. Recently, the presence of a termogenic adipose tissue was demonstrated in adult's humans. Currently, three kinds of adipose adipocytes are known: white (WAT), brown (BAT) and the recent beige (or brite), also known as inducible brown adipose tissue. Regarding the functional differences, the WAT is responsible for energy storage as lipids, thus directly related to obesity. While BAT has high oxidative capacity, therefore contributes to the increase of metabolic rate, reducing obesity. In this context, the beige adipose tissue has double function: 1) Behaves like WAT when there is energy excess, 2) When stimulated (cold exposure, sympathetic stimulation), its termogenic program is activated, increasing UCP1 to the BAT levels and promoting energy dissipation. Several factors have been studied to be associated to adipogenesis, among them: transcription factors, microRNAs and hormones. Other proteins have also been related to adipogenesis. The CETP, a protein classically studied in reverse cholesterol transport, has been investigated by our group, that suggest a new role for CETP, diminishing adiposity. Data not published shows that CETP expression increases lipolysis (50%) and body oxygen consumption (10%), reducing adiposity (30%) and leptinemia (40%) of transgenic mice. That is explained by the increase in lipolitic and termogenic genes (ATGL, HSL, B3AR, UCP1). Considering that lipolysis in WAT, termogeneis in BAT e termogenic induction in beige adipose tissue are regulated though the same mechanisms (B-adrenergic receptors pathway), CETP might be related to a greater activation of the termogenic program of adipose tissue. Therefore, considering the recent discoveries about the potential effects of beige adipose tissue in obesity control, we aim to investigate the CETP impact in the BAT activation and beige adipose tissue induction of transgenic compared to non-transgenic mice.