In recent years, obesity and obesity-related diseases, including type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases, have reached alarming global levels, posing serious threats to human health. Central to understanding these conditions is the role of lipids within adipose tissue, which help regulate thermogenesis and energy balance. Among the various lipid species, compounds such as plasmalogen, cardiolipin, lysophosphatidic acid, and fatty acid esters of hydroxy fatty acids (FAHFAs) have garnered attention for their role in maintaining metabolic homeostasis. While much research has focused on their physiological function, new investigations are shedding light on how the lipid composition of adipose tissue influences its “beigeing” capacity—where white fat cells develop thermogenic properties typically seen in brown fat.
A groundbreaking study from Prof. Shan Tizhong’s team at Zhejiang University has revealed promising findings regarding lard derived from subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT). Their research, published in Research, identifies phosphatidylserine (PS) as a key lipid that can enhance mitochondrial function and improve energy metabolism in fat cells. This discovery could offer a new nutritional strategy to combat obesity and its related health issues.
The researchers explored the benefits of fats with varying “beigeing” properties, extracted from adipose tissues in ketogenic diets. They found that when SAT was used as the primary fat source, it significantly enhanced the diet’s anti-obesity effects. Through lipidomic analyses, PS was pinpointed as the functional lipid responsible for activating thermogenesis in adipocytes. In animal models, PS was shown to increase the expression of UCP1, a protein crucial for fat burning, and promote lipolysis, the breakdown of fat cells. Further studies revealed that PS enhances mitochondrial function through the ADCY3-cAMP-PKA-PGC1α signaling pathway. Additionally, PS’s interaction with PGC1α may stabilize the protein, amplifying its thermogenic effect.
These findings suggest that PS, a lipid found abundantly in lard from SAT, could play a pivotal role in combating obesity and related metabolic diseases. It offers new perspectives on the importance of lipid composition in adipose tissue and highlights the potential of PS as a nutritional therapy to enhance metabolic health. The results also indicate that lard derived from SAT may provide greater health benefits compared to lard from visceral adipose tissue (VAT), challenging long-held assumptions about dietary fats.
This research not only offers valuable insights into the metabolic benefits of lard but also paves the way for future studies aimed at utilizing PS as a therapeutic strategy for obesity and other metabolic disorders.
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