Laura Aline Mengel1,2,3, Bahareh Nemati Moud3, Hatti Seidl1, Alberto Mesas-Fernández3, Claudine Seeliger3, Beate Brandl2,3, Thomas Skurk2,3, Christina Holzapfel1, Melina Claussnitzer4,5, Hans Hauner1,2,3. 1. Institute of Nutritional Medicine, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany. 2. ZIEL Institute for Food and Health, Technical University of Munich, Freising-Weihenstephan, Germany. 3. Else Kröner-Fresenius Center for Nutritional Medicine, School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Freising-Weihenstephan, Germany. 4. Metabolism Program, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. 5. Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Brown adipose tissue (BAT) serves to produce heat by nonshivering thermogenesis. Activation of BAT increases energy expenditure and is seen as a putative strategy to treat obesity. There are conflicting data on the capacity for cold-induced thermogenesis in individuals with higher BMI. METHODS: To investigate the effect of BMI on cold-induced stimulation of energy expenditure, changes in the metabolic profile, and the expression of browning markers in subcutaneous white adipose tissue (scWAT), healthy adults (N = 173, 50.9% females) with a median age of 26.0 (interquartile range [IQR]: 23.0; 28.0) years and a median body mass index (BMI) of 23.6 [IQR: 21.9; 26.6] kg/m2 were exposed to short-term mild cold exposure (CE). Resting energy expenditure (REE) was measured by indirect calorimetry and blood sampling was conducted at baseline and after CE. In a subgroup of participants with obesity, subcutaneous abdominal fat biopsies were taken before and after CE. RESULTS: The cold-induced median increase in REE was 74 (IQR: -28; 241) kcal/day (p < 0.001). This increase negatively correlated with BMI (p < 0.001). Participants with BMI 18.5-24.9 kg/m2 displayed a significant median increase of 103 kcal/day (p < 0.001), participants with overweight or obesity were not able to increase REE (23, p = 0.468 or -30 kcal/day, p = 0.917, respectively). In participants with obesity, expression of cell death activator in scWAT after CE was upregulated in females (p = 0.034). CONCLUSIONS: Persons with overweight and obesity do not increase REE in response to CE, presumably reflecting lower BAT activity. Likewise, the metabolic response to cold is diminished in participants with elevated BMI.
INTRODUCTION: Brown adipose tissue (BAT) serves to produce heat by nonshivering thermogenesis. Activation of BAT increases energy expenditure and is seen as a putative strategy to treat obesity. There are conflicting data on the capacity for cold-induced thermogenesis in individuals with higher BMI. METHODS: To investigate the effect of BMI on cold-induced stimulation of energy expenditure, changes in the metabolic profile, and the expression of browning markers in subcutaneous white adipose tissue (scWAT), healthy adults (N = 173, 50.9% females) with a median age of 26.0 (interquartile range [IQR]: 23.0; 28.0) years and a median body mass index (BMI) of 23.6 [IQR: 21.9; 26.6] kg/m2 were exposed to short-term mild cold exposure (CE). Resting energy expenditure (REE) was measured by indirect calorimetry and blood sampling was conducted at baseline and after CE. In a subgroup of participants with obesity, subcutaneous abdominal fat biopsies were taken before and after CE. RESULTS: The cold-induced median increase in REE was 74 (IQR: -28; 241) kcal/day (p < 0.001). This increase negatively correlated with BMI (p < 0.001). Participants with BMI 18.5-24.9 kg/m2 displayed a significant median increase of 103 kcal/day (p < 0.001), participants with overweight or obesity were not able to increase REE (23, p = 0.468 or -30 kcal/day, p = 0.917, respectively). In participants with obesity, expression of cell death activator in scWAT after CE was upregulated in females (p = 0.034). CONCLUSIONS: Persons with overweight and obesity do not increase REE in response to CE, presumably reflecting lower BAT activity. Likewise, the metabolic response to cold is diminished in participants with elevated BMI.
Authors: Robert J Brychta; Shan Huang; Juan Wang; Brooks P Leitner; Jacob D Hattenbach; Sarah L Bell; Laura A Fletcher; Rachel Perron Wood; Christopher R Idelson; Courtney J Duckworth; Suzanne McGehee; Amber B Courville; Shanna B Bernstein; Marc L Reitman; Aaron M Cypess; Kong Y Chen Journal: J Clin Endocrinol Metab Date: 2019-10-01 Impact factor: 5.958
Authors: Mark J W Hanssen; Anouk A J J van der Lans; Boudewijn Brans; Joris Hoeks; Kelly M C Jardon; Gert Schaart; Felix M Mottaghy; Patrick Schrauwen; Wouter D van Marken Lichtenbelt Journal: Diabetes Date: 2015-12-30 Impact factor: 9.461
Authors: Philip A Kern; Brian S Finlin; Beibei Zhu; Neda Rasouli; Robert E McGehee; Philip M Westgate; Esther E Dupont-Versteegden Journal: J Clin Endocrinol Metab Date: 2014-12 Impact factor: 5.958
Authors: Mark J W Hanssen; Roel Wierts; Joris Hoeks; Anne Gemmink; Boudewijn Brans; Felix M Mottaghy; Patrick Schrauwen; Wouter D van Marken Lichtenbelt Journal: Diabetologia Date: 2014-12-13 Impact factor: 10.122
Authors: D Franz; D Weidlich; F Freitag; C Holzapfel; T Drabsch; T Baum; H Eggers; A Witte; E J Rummeny; H Hauner; D C Karampinos Journal: Int J Obes (Lond) Date: 2017-08-14 Impact factor: 5.095
Authors: Claudine Seeliger; Tanja Krauss; Julius Honecker; Laura Aline Mengel; Lise Buekens; Alberto Mesas-Fernández; Thomas Skurk; Melina Claussnitzer; Hans Hauner Journal: Sci Rep Date: 2022-06-10 Impact factor: 4.996