Human brown adipose tissue: activation by cold stimulation and energy expenditure

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Brown adipose tissue (BAT), a site of metabolic thermogenesis, is known in small rodents to contribute to the regulation of body temperature, whole-body energy expenditure, and body fat. We have established that human BAT can be identified and assessed by fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography/computed tomography (FDG-PET/CT). In this study, we demonstrated that BAT of healthy adult volunteers was activated by acute cold exposure, in parallel with an increase in whole-body energy expenditure. BAT activity was decreased with age, being inversely related to body fat content. In addition to cold stimulation, non-pungent capsaicin analogs (capsinoids) also activated BAT via a transient receptor potential channel (TRP), leading a reduction of body fat.In conclusion, human BAT contributes to the regulation of energy expenditure and body fat content, and thereby is a hopeful therapeutic target to combat obesity.