The Relationship Between Brown Adipose Tissue Content in Supraclavicular Fat Depots and Insulin Sensitivity in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and Prediabetes

Abstract

Background: The evaluation of brown adipose tissue (BAT) and its role in metabolism and obesity remains an important topic in the recent literature. This study evaluated the influence of the BAT triglyceride content measured by proton magnetic resonance (MR) spectroscopy in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2) and prediabetes on insulin sensitivity.Methods: A total of 25 patients with DM2 and prediabetes (45.9 ± 10.1 years old, body mass index [BMI] of 31.6 ± 5.4 kg/m2) underwent anthropometric measurements (BMI), insulin sensitivity analysis (M value during euglycemic hyperinsulinemic clamp and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance), proton MR spectroscopy, and blood tests (total cholesterol, low-density lipoproteins, high-density lipoproteins, and triglycerides). The relationship between the triglyceride content in the supraclavicular fat depot and insulin sensitivity, anthropometric measurements, and blood test results was assessed.Results: The triglyceride content in the supraclavicular fat depot varied between 79.2% and 97.1% (mean: 92.6% ± 4.2%). The triglyceride content in the subcutaneous white adipose tissue of the neck was significantly higher (85.3%–99.3%; mean: 95.5% ± 2.9%; P = 0.0007). The triglyceride content in the supraclavicular fat depot exhibited a significantly moderate correlation with the BMI (r = 0.64; P = 0.0009). A significant weak negative correlation between the supraclavicular fat content and M value was revealed (r = −0.44; P = 0.002). Patients with high insulin resistance (IR) had a higher triglyceride content in the supraclavicular fat depot than patients with normal and lower IR (94.3% ± 2.0% vs. 90.4% ± 5.2%; P = 0.02).Conclusions: Reducing the BAT content in the supraclavicular fat depot can influence the development of IR in patients with DM2 and prediabetes.

Brown adipose tissue lipid metabolism in morbid obesity: Effect of bariatric surgery‐induced weight loss

“…In the present study, after surgery, we also found positive associations between the increase in supraclavicular CT‐radiodensity and increases in HDL and in the insulin sensitivity index, which may indicate that the observed decrease in supraclavicular triglyceride content, coupled with the increase in NEFA uptake, is involved in the favourable systemic lipid profile and the improved whole‐body insulin sensitivity found post surgery. Conversely, supraclavicular lipid accumulation is indicative of unfavourable glycaemic and lipid profiles …”

“…39 We also found that the 14% decrease in supraclavicular triglyceride content was associated with an increase in whole-body insulin sensitivity 6 months after surgery, which is in agreement with previous studies in obese humans 31 and humans with type 2 diabetes. 32 Relatively young healthy males have demonstrated increased brown fat activities, 40 and it is therefore conceivable that the decrease in supraclavicular triglyceride content, compared to that in BMI-matched controls, is indicative of the independent effect of surgery on brown fat activities.…”

Assessment of the aging of the brown adipose tissue by18F-FDG PET/CT imaging in the progeria mouse model LmnaG609G/G609G

“…Brown adipose tissue (BAT) is an adipose organ which is maintaining core temperature in small mammals and in newborn humans (Cannon and Nedergaard 2004). The functional status of BAT is closely related to obesity, type 2 diabetes and atherosclerosis (Berbee et al 2015;Koksharova et al 2017). BAT quality and activity are gradually decrease with age (Pfannenberg et al 2010).…”

Fat-Referenced MRI: Quanitaive MRI for Tissue Characterizaion and Volume Measurement

“…The goal was to study an intervention effect, and we had expected a stronger sBAT response following the cold adaptation. Other studies have shown that water-fat MRI is applicable to BAT characterization in adults [46,[100][101][102][103][104][105][106][107][108][109]. Thus, the weak effect observed in paper VI is ether caused by a lack of sBAT browning, or insufficient sensitivity combined with a weak intervention effect.…”

“…The field is still in the early stages of mapping the true effects BAT has on the metabolism, and its association with metabolic disease. A range of smaller studies have shown metabolic associations, for instance Entringer et al observed that newborn with lower fat fraction in the supraclavicular BAT (sBAT) depot were leaner after 6 months [45], similarly Hu et al observed that sBAT was inversely associated with BMI during childhood [38], and Koksharova et al that BAT was associated with insulin sensitivity in adults [46].…”