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Sex differences in brown adipose tissue activity and cold-induced thermogenesis
- Source :
- Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology. 534:111365
- Publication Year :
- 2021
- Publisher :
- Elsevier BV, 2021.
-
Abstract
- Introduction Brown adipose tissue (BAT) is suggested to exhibit a sexual dimorphism and thus contributes to the observed sex differences in cardiometabolic risk observed between women and men. Clinical data supporting this hypothesis are however scarce. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between BAT activity and sex using positron emission tomography (PET) – the current gold-standard for BAT quantification. Methods In this study, we included 95 subjects with a wide BMI range (20–55 kg/m2) aged from 18 to 50 years. Avoiding shivering, participants were cooled with a water-perfused vest to achieve adequate BAT activation. BAT activity was determined by 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose PET/computed tomography (18F-FDG PET/CT). Cold-induced thermogenesis (CIT) was quantified by indirect calorimetry. Results BAT was present in 44.6% of pre-menopausal women and in 35.9% of men (p = 0.394). CIT was significantly higher in women (p = 0.024). Estradiol levels were positively associated with CIT independent of age, sex, body fat and other sex hormones (b = 0.360, p = 0.016). In women, CIT decreased during the menstrual cycle, with lower levels in the luteal phase similar to median concentrations in men. Conclusion The prevalence of cold-activated BAT is slightly but non-significantly higher in pre-menopausal women than men. CIT is increased in females and independently associated with estradiol, suggesting that sex hormones may play a role in different thermogenic responses between men and women.
- Subjects :
- Adult
Male
0301 basic medicine
media_common.quotation_subject
Cold induced thermogenesis
Physiology
030209 endocrinology & metabolism
Luteal Phase
Luteal phase
Biochemistry
Young Adult
03 medical and health sciences
0302 clinical medicine
Endocrinology
Adipose Tissue, Brown
Fluorodeoxyglucose F18
Positron Emission Tomography Computed Tomography
Brown adipose tissue
Humans
Medicine
Molecular Biology
Menstrual cycle
media_common
Sex Characteristics
Estradiol
business.industry
Calorimetry, Indirect
Thermogenesis
Middle Aged
Cold Temperature
Sexual dimorphism
030104 developmental biology
medicine.anatomical_structure
Premenopause
Shivering
Female
medicine.symptom
business
Hormone
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 03037207
- Volume :
- 534
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....ea76ae96b4035e756fa6851caa07d83f