title: Serum FGF21 levels are associated with brown adipose tissue activity in humans.
abstract: The obesity pandemic has spurred a need for novel therapies to prevent and treat metabolic complications. The recent rediscovery of brown adipose tissue (BAT) in humans made this tissue a possible therapeutic target, due to its potentially substantial contributions to energy homeostasis. Fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) has been identified as a facilitator of cold-induced thermogenesis in humans. Furthermore, pre-clinical studies revealed that FGF21 administration leads to improvement in the metabolic consequences of obesity, such as dyslipidemia and type 2 diabetes. Here we studied plasma FGF21 levels in two cohorts of human subjects, in whom BAT activity was determined using an individualized cooling protocol by [(18)F]FDG-PET/CT scan. Importantly, we found that circulating FGF21 levels correlated with BAT activity during acute cold exposure in male subjects. In addition, FGF21 levels were related to the change in core temperature upon acute cold exposure, indicating a role for FGF21 in maintaining normothermia, possibly via activation of BAT. Furthermore, cold acclimation increased BAT activity in parallel with increased FGF21 levels. In conclusion, our results demonstrate that FGF21 levels in humans are related to BAT activity, suggesting that FGF21 may represent a novel mechanism via which BAT activity in humans may be enhanced.
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Biology, NUTRIM School for Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism,Maastricht University Medical Centre+(MUMC+), Maastricht, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Mark J W
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Hanssen
authors.affiliation: 1] Department of Human Biology, NUTRIM School for Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism,Maastricht University Medical Centre+(MUMC+), Maastricht, the Netherlands [2] Department of surgery, Maastricht University Medical Centre+(MUMC+), Maastricht, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Evie
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Broeders
authors.affiliation: Lilly Research Laboratories, Lilly Corporate Center, Indianapolis, IN, USA 46285.
authors.forename: Ricardo J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Samms
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Biology, NUTRIM School for Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism,Maastricht University Medical Centre+(MUMC+), Maastricht, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Maarten J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Vosselman
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Biology, NUTRIM School for Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism,Maastricht University Medical Centre+(MUMC+), Maastricht, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Anouk A J J
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: van der Lans
authors.affiliation: Lilly Research Laboratories, Lilly Corporate Center, Indianapolis, IN, USA 46285.
authors.forename: Christine C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.affiliation: Lilly Research Laboratories, Lilly Corporate Center, Indianapolis, IN, USA 46285.
authors.forename: Andrew C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Adams
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Biology, NUTRIM School for Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism,Maastricht University Medical Centre+(MUMC+), Maastricht, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Wouter D
authors.initials: WD
authors.lastname: van Marken Lichtenbelt
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Biology, NUTRIM School for Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism,Maastricht University Medical Centre+(MUMC+), Maastricht, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Schrauwen
mesh_terms: D002001:Adipose Tissue, Brown / Q000502:physiology*; D000328:Adult; D004734:Energy Metabolism; D005260:Female; D005346:Fibroblast Growth Factors / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D022722:Thermogenesis; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: C414620:fibroblast growth factor 21; D005346:Fibroblast Growth Factors