Nature: In fat cells, higher glycogen metabolism can increase calories

A previously unknown metabolic pathway was found to regulate the energy expenditure and caloric production of fat cells
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Scientists at the University of California, San Diego (University of California, San Diego) discovered this pathway in a new study that involves the accumulation and degradation of glycogen

This approach surprised scientists because the role of glycogen in fat has always been a mystery
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So far, glycogen has been understood as a method of packaging and storing unwanted glucose in liver and skeletal muscle cells

For example, glycogen conversion can explain the "browning" of fat cells
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Humans have at least two types of adipose tissue: white and brown

In recent years, people have been trying to find ways to increase the activity of brown or beige fat cells to induce fat cells (also known as fat cells) to burn energy and produce calories.
This process is called thermogenesis and is used as a treatment for obesity and type 2 diabetes.
And other diseases as a means
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However, due to the complexity of the process involved, the therapeutic potential of brown fat—perhaps beige fat cells—has been hampered
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It was not until 2009 that the presence of active brown fat cells in healthy adults was confirmed; previously, it was thought that they were only common in newborns

According to this new study, the browning of fat cells depends on their ability to make glycogen and subsequently degrade glycogen
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The conversion of glycogen sends a signal that cells can safely "separate" the production of ATP, which is the molecule that provides energy for most cellular processes

An article titled "Glycogen Metabolism Links Glucose Homeostasis to Fat Cell Thermogenesis" published in the journal Nature on October 27th, detailed the solution of glycogen metabolism and ATP production in fat cells.
The role of coupling
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This article believes that the synthesis and transformation of glycogen in the process of white adipose tissue browning is a new aspect of regulating energy consumption

The author of this article pointed out
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"In these models, the accumulation and turnover of glycogen also require long-term cold adaptation

In obese mice, stronger metabolic processes are related to fat burning and weight loss
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In humans, patients who are obese or prone to weight gain have lower genes involved in these complex processes, indicating that the glycogen pathway is needed in fat cells to burn excess weight

These findings suggest that regulating glycogen metabolism in fat cells may have therapeutic benefits
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Specifically, the decoupling mechanism described in the study can promote weight loss and lead to an overall improvement in metabolic health
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"Separation is a way to generate heat, and in this process, it helps to balance energy," said Dr.
Alan Saltir, senior researcher of the study and director of the Institute of Diabetes and Metabolic Health at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine.

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"Therefore, this approach ensures that only fat cells with sufficient energy reserves can produce heat
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Original title:

Glycogen metabolism links glucose homeostasis to thermogenesis in adipocytes