Cold-Activated Brown Adipose Tissue in Healthy Men
Wouter D. van Marken Lichtenbelt, Ph.D., Joost W. Vanhommerig, M.S., Nanda M. Smulders, M.D., Jamie M.A.F.L. Drossaerts, B.S., Gerrit J. Kemerink, Ph.D., Nicole D. Bouvy, M.D., Ph.D., Patrick Schrauwen, Ph.D., and G.J. Jaap Teule, M.D., Ph.D.
Background Studies in animals indicate that brown adipose tissueis important in the regulation of body weight, and it is possiblethat individual variation in adaptive thermogenesis can be attributedto variations in the amount or activity of brown adipose tissue.Until recently, the presence of brown adipose tissue was thoughtto be relevant only in small mammals and infants, with negligiblephysiologic relevance in adult humans. We performed a systematicexamination of the presence, distribution, and activity of brownadipose tissue in lean and obese men during exposure to coldtemperature. Brown-adipose-tissue activity was studied in relationto body composition and energy metabolism.
Methods We studied 24 healthy men — 10 who were lean (body-massindex [BMI] [the weight in kilograms divided by the square ofthe height in meters], <25) and 14 who were overweight orobese (BMI, 25) — under thermoneutral conditions (22°C)and during mild cold exposure (16°C). Putative brown-adipose-tissueactivity was determined with the use of integrated 18F-fluorodeoxyglucosepositron-emission tomography and computed tomography. Body compositionand energy expenditure were measured with the use of dual-energyx-ray absorptiometry and indirect calorimetry.
Results Brown-adipose-tissue activity was observed in 23 ofthe 24 subjects (96%) during cold exposure but not under thermoneutralconditions. The activity was significantly lower in the overweightor obese subjects than in the lean subjects (P=0.007). BMI andpercentage of body fat both had significant negative correlationswith brown adipose tissue, whereas resting metabolic rate hada significant positive correlation.
Conclusions The percentage of young men with brown adipose tissueis high, but its activity is reduced in men who are overweightor obese. Brown adipose tissue may be metabolically importantin men, and the fact that it is reduced yet present in mostoverweight or obese subjects may make it a target for the treatmentof obesity.
Source Information
From the Department of Human Biology, Nutrition and Toxicology Research Institute Maastricht (W.D.M.L., J.W.V., J.M.A.F.L.D., P.S.), the Department of Nuclear Medicine (N.M.S., G.J.K., G.J.J.T.), and the Department of General Surgery (N.D.B.), Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, the Netherlands.
Address reprint requests to Dr. van Marken Lichtenbelt at the Department of Human Biology, Maastricht University, P.O. Box 616, 6200 MD, Maastricht, the Netherlands, or at markenlichtenbelt{at}hb.unimaas.nl.
The Importance of Brown Adipose Tissue
Timmons J. A., Pedersen B. K., Stefan N., Pfannenberg C., Häring H.-U., Villarroya F., Domingo P., Giralt M., Jacene H. A., Wahl R. L., Lee P., Ho K. K.Y., Fulham M. J., Sacks H. S., van Marken Lichtenbelt W. D., Schrauwen P., Teule G.J. J., Cypess A. M., Kahn C. R., Enerbäck S., Oksi J., Nuutila P.
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N Engl J Med 2009;
361:415-421, Jul 23, 2009.
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A correction has been published: N Engl J Med 2009;360(18):1917.
25) — under thermoneutral conditions (22°C) and during mild cold exposure (16°C). Putative brown-adipose-tissue activity was determined with the use of integrated 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron-emission tomography and computed tomography. Body composition and energy expenditure were measured with the use of dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry and indirect calorimetry. 
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