The belly fat in mice makes a lot of a heat-boosting chemical when it’s cold—but when the mice are inflamed or have this bacteria, that fat stops making it, while other fat types don’t change as much.
Scientific Claim
In mice, epididymal white adipose tissue (eWAT) is a major source of 15-HETE during cold exposure, and its production is selectively suppressed by Sphingomonas paucimobilis and lipopolysaccharide, while brown and inguinal white fat show less consistent changes.
Original Statement
“significant increases in 15‐HETE released from iWAT and eWAT under cold exposure... significant decreases in the level of 15‐HETE were observed in the eWAT of LPS‐treated and S. paucimobilis‐gavaged mice models but not in iWAT or BAT.”
Evidence Quality Assessment
Claim Status
appropriately stated
Study Design Support
Design supports claim
Appropriate Language Strength
association
Can only show association/correlation
Assessment Explanation
The claim accurately describes tissue-specific metabolite release patterns observed in ex vivo experiments. No overstatement occurs; the language reflects measured differences.
Evidence from Studies
Supporting (1)
The study found that a specific gut bacterium and a toxin called LPS reduce a helpful fat chemical (15-HETE) mainly in one type of belly fat in mice, making it harder for them to stay warm in the cold — other fat types didn’t show the same clear pattern.