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Clinical Studies and Practice

Distinct regulation of hypothalamic and brown/beige adipose tissue activities in human obesity

International Journal of Obesity volume 39, pages 1515–1522 (2015)Cite this article

Subjects

Abstract

Background/Objectives:

The identification of brown/beige adipose tissue in adult humans has motivated the search for methods aimed at increasing its thermogenic activity as an approach to treat obesity. In rodents, the brown adipose tissue is under the control of sympathetic signals originating in the hypothalamus. However, the putative connection between the depots of brown/beige adipocytes and the hypothalamus in humans has never been explored. The objective of this study was to evaluate the response of the hypothalamus and brown/beige adipose tissue to cold stimulus in obese subjects undergoing body mass reduction following gastric bypass.

Subjects/Methods:

We evaluated twelve obese, non-diabetic subjects undergoing Roux-in-Y gastric bypass and 12 lean controls. Obese subjects were evaluated before and approximately 8 months after gastric bypass. Lean subjects were evaluated only at admission. Subjects were evaluated for hypothalamic activity in response to cold by functional magnetic resonance, whereas brown/beige adipose tissue activity was evaluated using a (F 18) fluorodeoxyglucose positron emisson tomography/computed tomography scan and real-time PCR measurement of signature genes.

Results:

Body mass reduction resulted in a significant increase in brown/beige adipose tissue activity in response to cold; however, no change in cold-induced hypothalamic activity was observed after body mass reduction. No correlation was found between brown/beige adipose tissue activation and hypothalamus activity in obese subjects or in lean controls.

Conclusions:

In humans, the increase in brown/beige adipose tissue activity related to body mass reduction occurs independently of changes in hypothalamic activity as determined by functional magnetic resonance.

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Acknowledgements

We thank E. Roman and G. Ferraz from the University of Campinas for technical assistance. Support for the study was provided by the Fundação de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo, Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cientifico e Tecnologico and grants from the Trust in Science Initiative from Glaxo-Smithkline, UK. The Laboratories of Cell Signaling and Experimental Endocrinology belong to the Obesity and Comorbidities Research Center and the National Institute of Science and Technology–Diabetes and Obesity.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Internal Medicine, Laboratory of Cell Signaling, University of Campinas, Campinas, Brazil

    B Rachid, S van de Sande-Lee, S Rodovalho, J Morari, A F Ramalho, B Bombassaro & L A Velloso

  2. Department of Medicine, Division of Diabetes, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA

    F Folli

  3. Neurophysics Group, Institute of Physics Gleb Wataghin, University of Campinas, Campinas, Brazil

    G C Beltramini

  4. Division of Nuclear Medicine, Department of Radiology, University of Campinas, Campinas, Brazil

    B J Amorim & C D Ramos

  5. Department of Neurology, Neuroimaging Laboratory, University of Campinas, Campinas, Brazil

    T Pedro & F Cendes

  6. Department of Surgery, University of Campinas, Campinas, Brazil

    A J Tincani, E Chaim & J C Pareja

  7. Laboratory of Investigation in Metabolism and Diabetes, University of Campinas, Campinas, Brazil

    J C Pareja & B Geloneze

  8. Department of Internal Medicine, Laboratory of Experimental Endocrinology, University of Campinas, Campinas, Brazil

    M J A Saad

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Correspondence to L A Velloso.

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Rachid, B., van de Sande-Lee, S., Rodovalho, S. et al. Distinct regulation of hypothalamic and brown/beige adipose tissue activities in human obesity. Int J Obes 39, 1515–1522 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1038/ijo.2015.94

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