AUTHOR=Ni Bin , Farrar Jared S. , Vaitkus Janina A. , Celi Francesco S. TITLE=Metabolic Effects of FGF-21: Thermoregulation and Beyond JOURNAL=Frontiers in Endocrinology VOLUME=6 YEAR=2015 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/endocrinology/articles/10.3389/fendo.2015.00148 DOI=10.3389/fendo.2015.00148 ISSN=1664-2392 ABSTRACT=

Fibroblast growth factor (FGF)-21, a member of the FGF family, is a novel hormone involved in the control of metabolism by modulating glucose homeostasis, insulin sensitivity, ketogenesis, and promoting adipose tissue “browning.” Recent studies demonstrated that brown adipose tissue is not only a target for FGF-21, but is also a potentially important source of systemic FGF-21. These findings support the hypothesis that FGF-21 plays a physiologic role in thermogenesis and thermogenic recruitment of white adipose tissue by an autocrine–paracrine axis. This review examines the role of FGF-21 in thermogenesis from the perspective of cell-based, animal model, and human studies. We also present recent advances in the characterization of FGF-21’s regulation of metabolism.