Thermoneutrality Inhibits Thermogenic Markers and Exacerbates Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Mice

Abstract

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) affects over a third of the US population and 25% globally, with current treatments proving ineffective. This study investigates whether manipulating brown adipose tissue (BAT) and beige fat activity by housing C57BL/6J mice at thermoneutral (27 °C) or standard temperatures (22 °C) impacts NAFLD development. Male mice were fed either a chow diet (CHD) or a “fast food” diet (FFD) for 10 weeks. Mice at 27 °C had reduced food intake but increased body weight and plasma leptin levels. FFD-fed mice at 27 °C had greater liver weight (2.6 vs. 1.8 g), triglyceride content (7.6 vs. 3.9 mg/g), and hepatic steatosis compared to those at 22 °C. Gene expression of fatty acid synthase, sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1, and fatty acid translocase CD36 was elevated in FFD-fed mice at 27 °C, but not in CHD-fed mice. Thermoneutral housing also reduced expression of thermogenic markers in BAT and inguinal white adipose tissue (WAT) and caused BAT whitening. In conclusion, thermoneutrality inhibits thermogenic markers and exacerbates NAFLD. Activating BAT or promoting WAT browning via cold exposure or other stimuli may offer a strategy for managing NAFLD.