Biomaterial Database

Cold-induced thermogenesis in humans. 2017

R J Brychta, and K Y Chen

Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Obesity Branch, The National Institutes of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.

A basic property of endothermic thermoregulation is the ability to generate heat by increasing metabolism in response to cold ambient temperatures to maintain a stable core body temperature. This process, known as cold-induced thermogenesis (CIT), has been measured in humans as early as 1780 by Antoine Lavoisier, but has found renewed interest because of the recent 'rediscovery' of thermogenic, cold-activated brown adipose tissue (BAT) in adult humans. In this review, we summarize some of the key findings of the work involving CIT over the past two centuries and highlight some of the seminal studies focused on this topic. There has been a substantial range of variability in the reported CIT in these studies, from 0 to 280% above basal metabolism. We identify and discuss several potential sources of this variability, including both methodological (measurement device, cold exposure temperature and duration) and biological (age and body composition of subject population) discrepancies. These factors should be considered when measuring CIT going forward to better assess whether BAT or other thermogenic organs are viable targets to combat chronic positive energy balance based on their relative capacities to elevate human metabolism.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D002001	Adipose Tissue, Brown	A thermogenic form of adipose tissue composed of BROWN ADIPOCYTES. It is found in newborns of many species including humans, and in hibernating mammals. Brown fat is richly vascularized, innervated, and densely packed with MITOCHONDRIA which can generate heat directly from the stored lipids.	Brown Fat,Hibernating Gland,Brown Adipose Tissue,Fat, Brown,Tissue, Brown Adipose
D003020	Clothing	Fabric or other material used to cover the body.	Clothes,Garments,Military Uniforms,Nurse Uniforms,School Uniforms,Uniforms,Garment,Military Uniform,Nurse Uniform,School Uniform,Uniform,Uniform, Military,Uniform, Nurse,Uniform, School,Uniforms, Military,Uniforms, Nurse,Uniforms, School
D003080	Cold Temperature	An absence of warmth or heat or a temperature notably below an accustomed norm.	Cold,Cold Temperatures,Temperature, Cold,Temperatures, Cold
D004734	Energy Metabolism	The chemical reactions involved in the production and utilization of various forms of energy in cells.	Bioenergetics,Energy Expenditure,Bioenergetic,Energy Expenditures,Energy Metabolisms,Expenditure, Energy,Expenditures, Energy,Metabolism, Energy,Metabolisms, Energy
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000367	Age Factors	Age as a constituent element or influence contributing to the production of a result. It may be applicable to the cause or the effect of a circumstance. It is used with human or animal concepts but should be differentiated from AGING, a physiological process, and TIME FACTORS which refers only to the passage of time.	Age Reporting,Age Factor,Factor, Age,Factors, Age
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D022722	Thermogenesis	The generation of heat in order to maintain body temperature. The uncoupled oxidation of fatty acids contained within brown adipose tissue and SHIVERING are examples of thermogenesis in MAMMALS.	Heat Production,Adaptive Thermogenesis,Facultative Thermogenesis,Nonshivering Thermogenesis,Production, Heat,Thermogeneses,Thermogenesis, Adaptive,Thermogenesis, Facultative,Thermogenesis, Nonshivering
D023421	Models, Animal	Non-human animals, selected because of specific characteristics, for use in experimental research, teaching, or testing.	Experimental Animal Models,Laboratory Animal Models,Animal Model,Animal Model, Experimental,Animal Model, Laboratory,Animal Models,Animal Models, Experimental,Animal Models, Laboratory,Experimental Animal Model,Laboratory Animal Model,Model, Animal,Model, Experimental Animal,Model, Laboratory Animal,Models, Experimental Animal,Models, Laboratory Animal