Distinct sympathetic projections to brown fat regulate thermogenesis and glucose tolerance.

ABSTRACT: Brown adipose tissue (BAT) contributes to thermoregulation and glucose metabolism, but how these functions are coordinated remains unclear. While thermogenesis in the activated BAT typically coincides with increased blood flow and glucose uptake^1-5, several pathophysiological and nutritional states dissociate these processes^6,7, suggesting they are governed by distinct sympathetic circuits. Here we identify subpopulations of sympathetic neurons in the stellate ganglion that mediate distinct functions of intrascapular BAT (iBAT) in mice. Two main types of sympathetic neurons project to iBAT: those that innervate the organ parenchyma and those that innervate the large blood vessels feeding the depot^8-12. Here we develop a toolkit to parse the functions of the

SUBMITTER: Neri D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12945688 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature