5 research outputs found

    Role of UCP1 gene variants in interethnic differences in the development of cardio-metabolic diseases

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    Cardio-metabolic diseases (CMDs) comprise a cluster of risk factors that contribute to chronic pathological conditions with adverse consequences for cardiovascular function and metabolic processes. A wide range of CMD prevalence rates among different ethnic groups has been documented. In view of accumulated evidence, there is a trend toward increasing CMD prevalence rates in Eastern Europe and Western Asia. Numerous studies have revealed an association between uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) gene variants and CMDs. UCP1 activity is essential for brown adipose tissue (BAT)-mediated thermogenesis. Experimental animal studies and epidemiological studies in humans highlight the significance of BAT-mediated thermogenesis in protecting against obesity and maintaining a lean phenotype. We hypothesize that the genetic variation in UCP1 gene expression observed among different ethnic groups could contribute to the ethnic-specific predisposition to CMD development. Constructing such prevalence maps of UCP1 gene variants could contribute significantly into identifying high-risk ethnic groups predisposed to the development of CMDs, and further shaping public health policies by the improvement of existing preventive and management strategies

    Chronic l-menthol-induced browning of white adipose tissue hypothesis: A putative therapeutic regime for combating obesity and improving metabolic health

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    Obesity constitutes a serious global health concern reaching pandemic prevalence rates. The existence of functional brown adipose tissue (BAT) in adult humans has provoked intense research interest in the role of this metabolically active tissue in whole-body energy balance and body weight regulation. A number of environmental, physiological, pathological, and pharmacological stimuli have been proposed to induce BAT-mediated thermogenesis and functional thermogenic BAT-like activity in white adipose tissue (WAT), opening new avenues for therapeutic strategies based on enhancing the number of beige adipocytes in WAT
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