Abstract
Brown adipose tissue (BAT) has the unique function of burning energy to create heat through the process of non‐shivering thermogenesis. Activation of BAT in humans as a possible means of combating obesity is an active area of research, yet reliable methods for recognizing and monitoring BAT activation still need to be developed and validated. The purpose of this study was to assess the feasibility of thermal imaging for monitoring BAT activation in an in vivo animal model, specifically Alaskan sled dogs, which have been used extensively as models in cold‐weather metabolism and nutrition research. In this pilot study, BAT activation was monitored monthly over 4 months in a cohort of five sled dog puppies. Thermal images of the chest region and blood samples were collected before and after a cold exposure treatment. The thermal images were used to compare the temperature of the chest region pre‐ and post‐cold exposure, reasoning that a change in temperature would occur with BAT activation. Concentrations of two plasma biomarkers associated with non‐shivering thermogenesis, irisin and fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21), were measured in each blood sample. Although this pilot study did not have significant findings, it has produced a base of knowledge and methodology that is being used in current studies. Given the potential benefits of BAT activation for human health, the validation of thermal imaging as a non‐invasive monitoring technique and the use of an animal model could better inform the treatment of metabolic diseases.Support or Funding InformationFunding was provided by Nestlé Purina and the UAF BLaST Program. Research reported in this publication was supported by the National Institute Of General Medical Sciences of the National Institutes of Health under Award Numbers UL1GM118991, TL4GM118992, or RL5GM118990. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2019 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.
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