Effects of circadian misalignment on brown adipose tissue activity in humans

• Grant number: 17/06389-8
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: May 01, 2017
• End date: February 28, 2019
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Physiology - General Physiology
• Principal Investigator: Licio Augusto Velloso
• Grantee: Klaus Sebastian Weiss Santos
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Médicas (FCM). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 13/07607-8 - OCRC - Obesity and Comorbidities Research Center, AP.CEPID

Abstract

The circadian rhythm misalignment is associated with obesity and its comorbidities. Mice exposed to prolonged days of 16 or 24 hours of light cycle have higher adiposity and impaired brown adipose tissue (BAT) activity. However, there are no studies that associate the activity of brown adipose tissue with circadian misalignment in humans, as in the standard restriction / extension of sleep (Social Jetlag) and shift work. The purpose of this study is to investigate BAT activity in individuals with chronic circadian misalignment. For this purpose, 100 healthy undergratuated students between 18 and 30 years of the State University of Campinas (Unicamp) will be included, BMI between 20 and 29.9 kg/m2. In the first phase, 4 questionnaires will be applied to analyze the circadian characteristics of the volunteers. Then, these volunteers will be screened and two groups will be separated: one group with social jetlag less than 2h and another group with social jetlag greater than two hours. Therefore, the sleep restriction/extension pattern, body composition, basal metabolic activity and BAT activity will be analyzed in these groups. (AU)