Brown adipose tissue and associated metabolites in women with different adiposity phenotypes and metabolic health.

• Grant number: 22/05504-6
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: June 01, 2023
• End date: May 31, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Nutrition
• Principal Investigator: Ana Carolina Junqueira Vasques
• Grantee: Ana Carolina Junqueira Vasques
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Médicas (FCM). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil
• Associated researchers: Adriana Souza Torsoni ; Bruno Geloneze Neto ; Dennys Esper Corrêa Cintra ; Marcelo Alves da Silva Mori

Abstract

Background: Obesity without metabolic alterations represents a unique model for the study of mechanisms related to increased body adiposity. Given the potential importance of the interrelationships of brown adipose tissue (BAT), its modulators and by-products with different metabolic and obesity phenotypes; combined with the scarcity of studies that compared the activity of BAT, and the profile of batocins and microRNAs between the "metabolically healthy obese" and "metabolically unhealthy obese" phenotypes; the opportunity arises for a better understanding of obesity as a disease under this focus. Objective: To compare BAT activity, plasma batocins and microRNA concentrations among adult women with the three phenotypes: metabolically healthy normal weight, metabolically healthy obese and metabolically unhealthy obese. Methods: Cross-sectional study, with 108 women, equally distributed among the aforementioned phenotypes. BMI will be the normality criterion for body weight and the definition of metabolic health will consider the metabolic syndrome criteria. Anthropometric assessment will include waist and neck circumferences and sagittal abdominal diameter. Body composition will be evaluated by densitometry and BAT activity by infrared thermographic camera. The batokines Angptl8, Nrg4T and FGF21 will be measured by ELISA. The microRNAs will be quantified by the sequencing technique. Perspectives: It is expected to better understand the pathophysiology of obesity and open new avenues for future therapeutic approaches that increase energy expenditure and/or consumption of energy substrates as a strategy for the prevention and/or treatment of obesity and beneficial for metabolic health. (AU)