Figure 3.

Summary of the effects of chronic alcohol on white and brown adipose tissue function. In white adipose tissue, alcohol leads to overall loss of tissue mass due to enhanced lipolysis and either unchanged or decreased lipogenesis. FFAs released following lipolysis are commonly deposited in the liver contributing to alcoholic steatosis. Glucose uptake is also perturbed by alcohol. A heightened inflammatory state develops from chronic alcohol consumption leading to increased macrophage infiltration and expression of the indicated adipokines/cytokines. Within brown adipose tissue conclusive data are limited but suggest a lack of change in tissue mass and lipogenesis as well as a decrease in lipolysis and potential increase in thermogenesis. * Indicates where findings have been variable and inconclusive but suggest the indicated effect. Abbreviations: peroxisome proliferator activated receptor γ (PPARγ), tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP1).