Researchers at Karolinska Institutet believe that more insight on the angiogenic factors (development of blood vessels) of fat tissues can help in opening up a new treatment option for obesity and its related complications.
Such a possibility was discovered by scientists in January 2009 when they exposed experimental mice to low temperature. It was found that under these circumstances the mice developed more blood vessels and the utilization of the fats in the body also increased rapidly.
Are Angiogenic Factors Associated with Treatment of Obesity?
- The fat cells grow and are utilized by the body when oxygen and nutrients are made available to them through blood.
- Based on this premise, it can be argued that obesity can be combated by inhibiting the development of blood vessels in fat tissues.
- Apart from the growth of blood vessels in the experimental mice at low temperatures, the researchers also noticed that fat tissue converted from white form to brown form under these circumstances.
- This development took place because brown fat are required by the body for the release of heat and spread warmth in cold conditions.
- But such conversions of fat cell forms are mostly found in newborn babies, less reported in adults.
- The researchers were of the opinion that by controlling the development of blood vessels, transformation of white fat into brown fat will be possible in adults too.
Significance of the Research on Angiogenic Factors of Fat Cells: Scientists at the Indiana University School of Medicine were the firsts to discover that blood vessels had a role to play in controlling the fat cells development. The results of their findings were reported in the September 2008 issue of the journal Stem Cells. The present research made a further development in this field by knowing that white fat – brown fat conversion is possible in adults too by inhibiting blood vessel formation of fat tissues.
