ArticlePLoS biology2020
Urolithin A exerts antiobesity effects through enhancing adipose tissue thermogenesis in mice.
Article in PLoS biology, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 72 papers.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Who cites it
72 citing papers in PubMed, 136 citations in OpenAlex.
- The effect of high-polyphenol Mediterranean diet on visceral adiposity: the DIRECT PLUS randomized controlled trial.BMC medicine · 2022Trial
- Urolithin A improves muscle strength, exercise performance, and biomarkers of mitochondrial health in a randomized trial in middle-aged adults.Cell reports. Medicine · 2022Trial
- Rab1A Promotes Hepatic Steatosis by Suppressing Mitophagy via the Raf-1/ERK1/2/PINK1 Signaling Axis.Advanced science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany) · 2026Article
- Review
- Review
- Unlocking the Hepatoprotective Potential of Urolithin A in High-Fat Diet-Induced MASLD: Integrated Role of Oxidative Stress, Inflammation, FXR/PPAR-α, and Fibrotic Pathway.Cell biochemistry and function · 2026Article
- Health Benefits and Molecular Mechanisms of Urolithin A: From a Gut Microbiota-Derived Metabolite to Translational Applications.Food science & nutrition · 2026Review
- Metabolic Reprogramming and ILC2 Plasticity in Obesity-related Asthma.Clinical reviews in allergy & immunology · 2026Review
- Anti-Atherogenic Actions of Pomegranate Polyphenol Punicalagin and Its Metabolites: In Vitro Effects on Vascular Cells and In Vivo Atheroprotection by Urolithin A via Anti-Inflammatory and Plaque-Stabilising Mechanisms.Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Advances in research on thermogenic substances.Journal of physiological anthropology · 2026Review
- Diet-Induced Browning of White Adipose Tissue: Molecular Targets, Mechanisms, and Therapeutic Potential.Current issues in molecular biology · 2026Review
- INSIG1 parallel substitution drives lipid/sterol metabolic plasticity mediating desert adaptation in ungulates.Communications biology · 2026Article
- Functional Food-Derived Urolithins: Molecular Mechanisms, Health Effects, and Interactomics with Proteins and Extracellular Vesicles.Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
- Urolithins in clinical translation: from gut microbial metabolites to precision interventions.Frontiers in nutrition · 2026Review
- Mitophagy in the pathogenesis and management of disease.Cell research · 2026Review
- Urolithin A: a multi-target therapeutic candidate derived from the gut microbiota for obesity and metabolic dysfunction.Frontiers in endocrinology · 2026Review
- Distinct classes of gut bacterial molybdenum-dependent enzymes produce urolithins.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America · 2025Article
- Microbial Metabolite, Macro Impact: Urolithin A in the Nexus of Insulin Resistance and Colorectal Tumorigenesis.Nutrients · 2025Review
- Inhibition of GCKIII kinases STK25 and MST3 mitigates organ lipotoxicity and enhances metabolic resilience under nutritional stress.BMC medicine · 2025Article
- Effects of Postbiotic Administration on Canine Health: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Microorganisms · 2025Review
12 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
12 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Obesity leads to multiple health problems, including diabetes, fatty liver, and even cancer. Here, we report that urolithin A (UA), a gut-microflora-derived metabolite of pomegranate ellagitannins (ETs), prevents diet-induced obesity and metabolic dysfunctions in mice without causing adverse effects. UA treatment increases energy expenditure (EE) by enhancing thermogenesis in brown adipose tissue (BAT) and inducing browning of white adipose tissue (WAT). Mechanistically, UA-mediated increased thermogenesis is caused by an elevation of triiodothyronine (T3) levels in BAT and inguinal fat depots. This is also confirmed in UA-treated white and brown adipocytes. Consistent with this mechanism, UA loses its beneficial effects on activation of BAT, browning of white fat, body weight control, and glucose homeostasis when thyroid hormone (TH) production is blocked by its inhibitor, propylthiouracil (PTU). Conversely, administration of exogenous tetraiodothyronine (T4) to PTU-treated mice restores UA-induced activation of BAT and browning of white fat and its preventive role on high-fat diet (HFD)-induced weight gain. Together, these results suggest that UA is a potent antiobesity agent with potential for human clinical applications.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.