title: Increased oxygen consumption in human adipose tissue from the "brown adipose tissue" region.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Since the discovery of functional brown adipose tissue (BAT) in adult humans, there has been a renewed interest in the physiology of human BAT. Imaging studies from our laboratory and others have shown increased glucose uptake in adipose tissue regions assumed to be BAT in humans. We have also shown that human BAT from the supraclavicular (SCV) region is positive for uncoupling protein-1. To date, however, the oxidative capacity of this adipose tissue (AT) depot has not been characterized in humans.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We hypothesize that oxidative capacity is increased in the AT of the SCV region known to contain human BAT.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was an observational prospective cohort study.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was conducted at a referral center.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants were 13 patients for whom thyroid gland surgery was indicated.
  
  
  METHODS
  Basal cellular oxygen consumption in human AT biopsy samples from the SCV region, known to be [¹⁸F]fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography-computed tomography-positive, was compared with the cellular oxygen consumption in subcutaneous white adipose tissue (WAT) from the same region of the same subject.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We show for the first time that AT from the human BAT region displays increased oxygen consumption (P < .05), on average 300% higher, than subcutaneous WAT of the same individual. The contribution of the proton leak to maximal respiration increased with age in the WAT but not in the AT from the BAT region.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggest that human adipose tissue from the BAT region can be distinguished from subcutaneous WAT by a higher basal oxidative capacity. Additional studies are warranted to further elucidate the metabolic and bioenergetic characteristics of this AT depot in humans.
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Biology, Maastricht University, PO Box 616, 6200 MD Maastricht, the Netherlands. g.vijgen@maastrichtuniversity.nl
authors.forename: Guy H E J
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Vijgen
authors.forename: Lauren M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Sparks
authors.forename: Nicole D
authors.initials: ND
authors.lastname: Bouvy
authors.forename: Gert
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Schaart
authors.forename: Joris
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hoeks
authors.forename: Wouter D
authors.initials: WD
authors.lastname: van Marken Lichtenbelt
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Schrauwen
mesh_terms: D002001:Adipose Tissue, Brown / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D050154:Adiposity; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001481:Basal Metabolism / Q000187:drug effects; D015331:Cohort Studies; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D006801:Humans; D007473:Ion Channels / Q000378:metabolism; D008875:Middle Aged; D024101:Mitochondrial Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D064847:Multimodal Imaging; D010101:Oxygen Consumption / Q000187:drug effects; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D011446:Prospective Studies; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D012782:Shoulder; D050151:Subcutaneous Fat / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014475:Uncoupling Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D000071256:Uncoupling Protein 1; D015854:Up-Regulation; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D007473:Ion Channels; D024101:Mitochondrial Proteins; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; C000604371:UCP1 protein, human; D014475:Uncoupling Agents; D000071256:Uncoupling Protein 1; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18