Burn injury triggers distinct transcriptomic profiles in adipose tissue of adult and aged mice

While burn injuries in adults trigger systemic immuno-metabolic alterations—characterized by white adipose tissue browning, elevated resting energy expenditure, widespread catabolism and inflammation—these adaptive responses are considerably impaired in older adults, with molecular mechanisms behind these differences remaining largely unclear.

As a key regulator of systemic metabolism, investigating the pathological role of adipose tissue (AT) post-burn may reveal novel targets that could potentially improve patient outcomes. In this study, we conducted bulk mRNA sequencing and analysis of AT from adult and aged mice, to elucidate the transcriptomic changes underlying the distinct post-burn responses in these populations. After examining differentially expressed genes in the adult and aged burn mice, the top six upregulated genes in adults (Ucp1, Lgr6, Dio2, Lncbate10, Fabp3, Kng2) were primarily associated with thermogenesis, whereas those in the aged mice (Car6, Spata25, Gm128, Btbd16, Lipm, Abca13) were linked to inflammation, tissue repair, and lipid metabolism.