title: Brown adipose tissue improves whole-body glucose homeostasis and insulin sensitivity in humans.
abstract: Brown adipose tissue (BAT) has attracted scientific interest as an antidiabetic tissue owing to its ability to dissipate energy as heat. Despite a plethora of data concerning the role of BAT in glucose metabolism in rodents, the role of BAT (if any) in glucose metabolism in humans remains unclear. To investigate whether BAT activation alters whole-body glucose homeostasis and insulin sensitivity in humans, we studied seven BAT-positive (BAT(+)) men and five BAT-negative (BAT(-)) men under thermoneutral conditions and after prolonged (5-8 h) cold exposure (CE). The two groups were similar in age, BMI, and adiposity. CE significantly increased resting energy expenditure, whole-body glucose disposal, plasma glucose oxidation, and insulin sensitivity in the BAT(+) group only. These results demonstrate a physiologically significant role of BAT in whole-body energy expenditure, glucose homeostasis, and insulin sensitivity in humans, and support the notion that BAT may function as an antidiabetic tissue in humans.
authors: Metabolism Unit, Shriners Hospital for Children, Galveston, TX Department of Preventive Medicine and Community Health, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX Department of Nutrition and Metabolism, Division of Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Harokopio University of Athens, Athens, Greece.
authors: Maria
authors: M
authors: Chondronikola
authors: Department of Nutrition and Metabolism, Division of Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX Institute for Translational Sciences, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX Sealy Center on Aging, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX.
authors: Elena
authors: E
authors: Volpi
authors: Metabolism Unit, Shriners Hospital for Children, Galveston, TX Department of Surgery, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX.
authors: Elisabet
authors: E
authors: Børsheim
authors: Metabolism Unit, Shriners Hospital for Children, Galveston, TX Department of Surgery, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX.
authors: Craig
authors: C
authors: Porter
authors: Department of Interventional Radiology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX.
authors: Palam
authors: P
authors: Annamalai
authors: Department of Medical and Clinical Genetics, Institute of Biomedicine, The Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
authors: Sven
authors: S
authors: Enerbäck
authors: Department of Medical and Clinical Genetics, Institute of Biomedicine, The Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
authors: Martin E
authors: ME
authors: Lidell
authors: Metabolism Unit, Shriners Hospital for Children, Galveston, TX Department of Surgery, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX.
authors: Manish K
authors: MK
authors: Saraf
authors: Quebec Heart and Lung Research Institute Centre, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada.
authors: Sebastien M
authors: SM
authors: Labbe
authors: Metabolism Unit, Shriners Hospital for Children, Galveston, TX Department of Surgery, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX.
authors: Nicholas M
authors: NM
authors: Hurren
authors: Metabolism Unit, Shriners Hospital for Children, Galveston, TX Sealy Center on Aging, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX.
authors: Christina
authors: C
authors: Yfanti
authors: Metabolism Unit, Shriners Hospital for Children, Galveston, TX Department of Preventive Medicine and Community Health, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX Department of Nutrition and Metabolism, Division of Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX.
authors: Tony
authors: T
authors: Chao
authors: Metabolism Unit, Shriners Hospital for Children, Galveston, TX Department of Surgery, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX.
authors: Clark R
authors: CR
authors: Andersen
authors: Department of Nuclear Medicine, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX.
authors: Fernando
authors: F
authors: Cesani
authors: Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX Department of Pathology, Shriners Hospital for Children, Galveston, TX.
authors: Hal
authors: H
authors: Hawkins
authors: Metabolism Unit, Shriners Hospital for Children, Galveston, TX Department of Nutrition and Metabolism, Division of Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Harokopio University of Athens, Athens, Greece Institute for Translational Sciences, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX Sealy Center on Aging, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX lasidoss@utmb.edu.
authors: Labros S
authors: LS
authors: Sidossis
mesh_terms: D002001:Adipose Tissue, Brown / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000502:physiology*; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism*; D002153:Calorimetry, Indirect; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003080:Cold Temperature; D004734:Energy Metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D015309:Glucose Clamp Technique; D006706:Homeostasis / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007333:Insulin Resistance / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D064847:Multimodal Imaging; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D022722:Thermogenesis; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18