Beige adipocytes mediate the neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory effects of subcutaneous fat in obese mice

Abstract

Visceral adiposity is a risk factor for cognitive decline, but subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) is not and may be protective. Here, the authors show that beige adipocytes are indispensable for the neuroprotective effects of SAT. Beige fat knockout mice were more susceptible to the neuroimmune and cognitive effects of obesity, and in normal mice, SAT transplants protected against chronic obesity via beige fat-dependent mechanisms.