title: Short-term Cold Acclimation Recruits Brown Adipose Tissue in Obese Humans.
abstract: Recruitment of brown adipose tissue (BAT) has emerged as a potential tool to combat obesity and associated metabolic complications. Short-term cold acclimation has been shown not only to enhance the presence and activity of BAT in lean humans but also to improve the metabolic profile of skeletal muscle to benefit glucose uptake in patients with type 2 diabetes. Here we examined whether short-term cold acclimation also induced such adaptations in 10 metabolically healthy obese male subjects. A 10-day cold acclimation period resulted in increased cold-induced glucose uptake in BAT, as assessed by [(18)F]fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography. BAT activity was negatively related to age, with a similar trend for body fat percentage. In addition, cold-induced glucose uptake in BAT was positively related to glucose uptake in visceral white adipose tissue, although glucose uptake in visceral and subcutaneous white adipose tissue depots was unchanged upon cold acclimation. Cold-induced skeletal muscle glucose uptake tended to increase upon cold acclimation, which was paralleled by increased basal GLUT4 localization in the sarcolemma, as assessed through muscle biopsies. Proximal skin temperature was increased and subjective responses to cold were slightly improved at the end of the acclimation period. These metabolic adaptations to prolonged exposure to mild cold may lead to improved glucose metabolism or prevent the development of obesity-associated insulin resistance and hyperglycemia.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Human Biology and Human Movement Sciences, NUTRIM School for Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Mark J W
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Hanssen
authors.affiliation: Departments of Human Biology and Human Movement Sciences, NUTRIM School for Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Anouk A J J
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: van der Lans
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Boudewijn
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Brans
authors.affiliation: Departments of Human Biology and Human Movement Sciences, NUTRIM School for Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Joris
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hoeks
authors.affiliation: Departments of Human Biology and Human Movement Sciences, NUTRIM School for Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Kelly M C
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Jardon
authors.affiliation: Departments of Human Biology and Human Movement Sciences, NUTRIM School for Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Gert
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Schaart
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, the Netherlands Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule Aachen, Aachen, Germany.
authors.forename: Felix M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Mottaghy
authors.affiliation: Departments of Human Biology and Human Movement Sciences, NUTRIM School for Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Schrauwen
authors.affiliation: Departments of Human Biology and Human Movement Sciences, NUTRIM School for Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, the Netherlands markenlichtenbelt@maastrichtuniversity.nl.
authors.forename: Wouter D
authors.initials: WD
authors.lastname: van Marken Lichtenbelt
mesh_terms: D000064:Acclimatization; D050156:Adipogenesis; D002001:Adipose Tissue, Brown / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D050154:Adiposity; D000328:Adult; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001833:Body Temperature Regulation; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003080:Cold Temperature / Q000009:adverse effects; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D051275:Glucose Transporter Type 4 / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D050152:Intra-Abdominal Fat / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D000067329:Obesity, Metabolically Benign / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D050177:Overweight / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D021381:Protein Transport; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D051275:Glucose Transporter Type 4; C495692:SLC2A4 protein, human; D005947:Glucose