Thyroid hormones and fat tissue distribution

Background: When thyroid hormone levels are too low during fetal and postnatal life, metabolism is severely affected. Our experiments have shown that as a consequence of hypothyroidism fat tissue distribution is severely changed, without influencing total body fat content. This immediately raises the question about what the mechanism is behind this change in adipose tissue distribution and the possible consequences for energy metabolism/homeostasis.

Aim: To prepare a thorough overview of the present knowledge about the role of thyroid hormone in fat tissue distribution. What is the mechanism behind this change and how does this influence metabolism.