snRNA-seq reveals subcutaneous white adipose tissue remodeling upon return to thermoneutrality after cold stimulation

Evidence from laboratory and animal studies provides groundwork for understanding mechanisms and potential before human studies continue.

• Level A · Stronger Clinical Evidence
• Level B · Emerging clinical evidence with positive signals
• Level C · Early human research exploring benefits
• Level D · Scientific groundwork from lab and animal studies
• Emerging · Emerging topic under active research

Abstract (original English)

Introduction Cold stimulation induces browning of subcutaneous white adipose tissue (sWAT), making it a prime target for treating obesity and metabolic disorders. However, this remodeling is reversible: upon return to thermoneutrality (rewarming), sWAT whitens and loses its enhanced metabolic functions. Given the limited understanding of the microscopic dynamic changes and underlying mechanisms during this process, we established a temporally dynamic mouse model spanning the entire period from cold stimulation to the return to thermoneutrality, with inguinal sWAT (iWAT) selected as the study subject. Methods Based on preliminary data demonstrating stabilization in iWAT histology, expression levels of key thermogenic proteins, and the bulk transcriptome, we selected the two-week time point after the return to thermoneutrality for detailed analysis. Subsequently, we employed single-nucleus RNA sequencing (snRNA-seq) to comprehensively characterize iWAT cellular dynamics during cold stimulation and the subsequent two-week period after the return to thermoneutrality. Results Our findings revealed that while iWAT phenotypically reverts to a white state after 2 weeks of rewarming, as evidenced by structural, functional, and bulk transcriptomic characteristics, significant cold-induced molecular and cellular signatures persist. Specifically, we observed altered differentiation traject

Evidence level

Evidence from laboratory and animal studies provides groundwork for understanding mechanisms and potential before human studies continue.

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