Seasonal differences in brown adipose tissue density and pulse rate variability in a thermoneutral environment

• DOI: 10.1186/s40101-018-0166-x
• Publication Date: 2018-02-21T07:49:32Z
• Authors: Shinsuke Nirengi; Naoki Sakane; Shiho Amagasa; Sawako Wakui; Toshiyuki Homma; Yuko Kurosawa; Takafumi Hamaoka
• Keywords: Pulse rate; Seasonality

Brown adipose tissue (BAT) is sympathetically activated and induces thermogenesis during cold exposure, thereby influencing energy expenditure body fat levels. The very low frequency (VLF) components of pulse rate variability could be a form thermogenic sympathetic nervous activity, but no clear relationship has yet been reported between VLF activity BAT density. We therefore aimed to evaluate the association them.We enrolled 20 adults in winter matched summer. assessed densities based on total hemoglobin concentrations ([total-Hb]) measured with near-infrared time-resolved spectroscopy. calculated from measurements.BAT density ([total-Hb]; 70.5 ± 17.0 μM, summer 57.8 18.3 μM) (winter 6.7 0.8, 6.1 0.9) were significantly higher than (P < 0.05). However, there was significant correlation either season.Each parameter exhibited seasonal variation, we failed observe any correlations.