Neuropeptide Y Plays an Important Role in the Relationship Between Brain Glucose Metabolism and Brown Adipose Tissue Activity in Healthy Adults: A PET/CT Study

IntroductionBrown adipose tissue (BAT) becomes the favorite target for preventing and treating metabolic diseases because the activated BAT can produce heat and consume energy. The brain, especially the hypothalamus, which secretes Neuropeptide Y (NPY), is speculated to regulate BAT activity. However, whether NPY is involved in BAT activity’s central regulation in humans remains unclear. Thus, it’s essential to explore the relationship between brain glucose metabolism and human BAT activity.MethodsA controlled study with a large sample of healthy adults used Positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) to noninvasively investigate BAT’s activity and brain glucose metabolism in vivo. Eighty healthy adults with activated BAT according to the PET/CT scan volunteered to be the BAT positive group, while 80 healthy adults without activated BAT but with the same gender, similar age, and BMI, scanning on the same day, were recruited as the control (BAT negative). We use Statistical parametric mapping (SPM) to analyze the brain image data, Picture Archiving & Communication System (PACS), and PET/CT Viewer software to calculate the semi-quantitative values of brain glucose metabolism and BAT activity. ELISA tested the levels of fasting plasma NPY. The multiple linear regression models were used to analyze the correlation between brain glucose metabolism, the level of NPY, and the BAT activity in the BAT positive group.Results(1) Compared with controls, BAT positive group showed significant metabolic decreases mainly in the right Insula (BA13a, BA13b) and the right claustrum (uncorrected P <0.01, adjusted BMI). (2) The three brain regions’ semi-quantitative values in the BAT positive group were significantly lower than the negative group (all P values < 0.05). (3) After adjusting for age, gender, BMI, and outside temperature, there was a negative correlation between brain metabolic values and BAT activity (all P values < 0.05). However, after further adjusting for NPY level, there were no significant differences between the BA13b metabolic values and BAT activity (P>0.05), while the correlation between the BA13a metabolic values and BAT activity still was significant (P< 0.05).ConclusionsRegional brain glucose metabolism is closely related to healthy adults’ BAT activity, which may be mediated by NPY.

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The relationship between brain glucose metabolism and insulin resistance in subjects with normal cognition – a study based on 18F-FDG PET

Nuclear Medicine Communications ◽

10.1097/mnm.0000000000001511 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol Publish Ahead of Print ◽

Author(s):

Yuqi Chen ◽

Chun Qiu ◽

Wenji Yu ◽

Xiaonan Shao ◽

Mingge Zhou ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Insulin Resistance ◽

Glucose Metabolism ◽

Fdg Pet ◽

Brain Glucose ◽

Brain Glucose Metabolism ◽

18F Fdg ◽

The Relationship ◽

Normal Cognition

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Changes of Brain Glucose Metabolism in the Pretreatment Patients with Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: A Retrospective PET/CT Study

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0161325 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 11 (8) ◽

pp. e0161325 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Weishan Zhang ◽

Ning Ning ◽

Xianjun Li ◽

Gang Niu ◽

Lijun Bai ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Lung Cancer ◽

Glucose Metabolism ◽

Small Cell Lung Cancer ◽

Cell Lung Cancer ◽

Small Cell ◽

Small Cell Lung ◽

Brain Glucose ◽

Brain Glucose Metabolism ◽

Pet Ct

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Increased brain glucose metabolism in chronic severe traumatic brain injury as determined by longitudinal 18F-FDG PET/CT

Journal of Clinical Neuroscience ◽

10.1016/j.jocn.2018.08.052 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 57 ◽

pp. 20-25 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Tomohiro Yamaki ◽

Yoshio Uchino ◽

Haruko Henmi ◽

Mizuho Kamezawa ◽

Miyoko Hayakawa ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Traumatic Brain Injury ◽

Brain Injury ◽

Glucose Metabolism ◽

Severe Traumatic Brain Injury ◽

Fdg Pet ◽

Brain Glucose ◽

Brain Glucose Metabolism ◽

Pet Ct ◽

18F Fdg ◽

Fdg Pet Ct

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Activated Brown Adipose Tissue and Its Relationship to Adiposity and Metabolic Markers (P21-073-19)

Current Developments in Nutrition ◽

10.1093/cdn/nzz041.p21-073-19 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽

Author(s):

Malini Soundarrajan ◽

Jie Deng ◽

Mary Kwasny ◽

Nicholas Rubert ◽

Paige Nelson ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Adipose Tissue ◽

Glucose Metabolism ◽

Brown Adipose Tissue ◽

Fasting Glucose ◽

Young Men ◽

Fibroblast Growth Factor 21 ◽

Metabolic Markers ◽

Bat Activity ◽

Brown Adipose ◽

Pet Ct

Abstract Objectives To explore potential relationships between PET/CT imaging characteristics of cold-activated brown adipose tissue (BAT), measures of adiposity and metabolic markers in young men. Methods We conducted a post-hoc analysis of a study designed to compare magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques to the reference standard, PET/CT, in characterizing BAT. A total of 25 healthy male participants ages 18–24 and body mass index (BMI) ranging from 19.4 to 35.9 Kg/m2 were included in the study. A physical exam and fasting lab draw were performed, including measurement of hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), lipid panel, thyroid function tests, leptin, adiponectin, FGF-21 and IL-6. Body composition was measured using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). An individualized cooling protocol was utilized to activate BAT. Subjects were wrapped in a water-infused suit (CritiCool® System, Mennen Medical, Israel) and cooled to achieve non-shivering thermogenesis prior to imaging. Measures of cold-activated BAT, including mean standardized uptake value adjusted for lean mass (SUVlean mean), maximum SUV (SUVlean max), total BAT activity, and BAT volume were determined from PET/CT images. Pearson's and Spearman's rank correlations were employed to relate measures of active BAT to adiposity and metabolic parameters. Results There was an inverse relationship between fasting serum glucose and BAT volume (r = −0.40, P = 0.048). In addition, a positive correlation was observed for serum fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF-21) and SUVlean max (r = 0.45, P = 0.04). Marginally significant inverse relationships were noted between fasting glucose and total BAT activity (r = −0.39, P = 0.05) and leptin and SUVlean mean (r = −0.42, P = 0.05). However, no significant correlations were noted for measures of BAT activity or volume and other indicators of adiposity or glucose metabolism. Conclusions Data from this exploratory study suggest that BAT volume and activity may be inversely associated with fasting glucose in healthy young men. BAT activity was also correlated with an insulin sensitizer, FGF-21, suggesting BAT may lower glucose levels via an FGF-21 dependent pathway. Further studies are needed to clarify the potential mechanisms by which active BAT may impact glucose metabolism and the relationship between BAT and adiposity. Funding Sources NIDDK.

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