Glucocorticoid Effects on Brown Adipose Tissue Metabolism
Summary
Glucocorticoids are critical regulators of energy homeostasis that influence brown adipose tissue (BAT), a specialised thermogenic organ. Endogenous cortisol rhythms and pharmacological glucocorticoid treatments modulate BAT function through genomic and non-genomic pathways, affecting uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) expression, mitochondrial biogenesis, substrate uptake and sympathetic innervation. Acute elevations in glucocorticoid levels can enhance energy expenditure under cold exposure, whereas chronic elevation or loss of physiological rhythm leads to lipid accumulation, pseudo-atrophy of BAT and impaired adaptive thermogenesis. Enzymes such as 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (11β-HSD1) locally amplify glucocorticoid action, further tuning BAT recruitment and activity. The dualistic effects of glucocorticoids on BAT have profound implications for obesity, metabolic syndrome and glucocorticoid-induced diabetes.
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Glucocorticoid Effects on Brown Adipose Tissue Metabolism publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in glucocorticoid effects on brown adipose tissue metabolism across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Glucocorticoids: Steroid hormones that regulate metabolism and immune responses by activating the glucocorticoid receptor.
Brown Adipose Tissue (BAT): A form of fat rich in mitochondria that dissipates energy as heat through non-shivering thermogenesis.
Thermogenesis: The process of heat production in organisms, driven in BAT by mitochondrial uncoupling.
Uncoupling Protein 1 (UCP1): A mitochondrial inner-membrane protein that uncouples oxidative phosphorylation to generate heat.
11β-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase Type 1 (11β-HSD1): An enzyme that converts inactive cortisone to active cortisol, amplifying local glucocorticoid action within tissues.
References
- Effect of high-dose glucocorticoid treatment on human brown adipose tissue activity: a randomised, double-blinded, placebo-controlled cross-over trial in healthy men. EBioMedicine (2023).
- Dexamethasone Inhibits White Adipose Tissue Browning. International Journal of Molecular Sciences (2024).
- A physiological glucocorticoid rhythm is an important regulator of brown adipose tissue function. Molecular Metabolism (2021).
- 11β-HSD1 Modulates the Set Point of Brown Adipose Tissue Response to Glucocorticoids in Male Mice. Endocrinology (2017).
- Glucocorticoids Acutely Increase Brown Adipose Tissue Activity in Humans, Revealing Species-Specific Differences in UCP-1 Regulation. Cell Metabolism (2016).
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