Brown Adipose Tissue Improves Whole-Body Glucose Homeostasis and Insulin Sensitivity in Humans

• DOI: 10.2337/db14-0746
• Publication Date: 2014-07-24T03:30:14Z
• Authors: Maria Chondronikola; Elena Volpi; Elisabet Børsheim; Craig Porter; Palam Annamalai; Sven Enerbäck; Martin E. Lidell; Manish K. Saraf; Sebastien M. Labbe; Nicholas M. Hurren; Christina Yfanti; Tony Chao; Clark R. Andersen; Fernando Cesani; Hal Hawkins; Labros S. Sidossis
• Keywords: Homeostasis

Brown adipose tissue (BAT) has attracted scientific interest as an antidiabetic owing to its ability dissipate energy heat. Despite a plethora of data concerning the role BAT in glucose metabolism rodents, (if any) humans remains unclear. To investigate whether activation alters whole-body homeostasis and insulin sensitivity humans, we studied seven BAT-positive (BAT+) men five BAT-negative (BAT−) under thermoneutral conditions after prolonged (5–8 h) cold exposure (CE). The two groups were similar age, BMI, adiposity. CE significantly increased resting expenditure, disposal, plasma oxidation, BAT+ group only. These results demonstrate physiologically significant homeostasis, support notion that may function humans.