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Pharmacological Activation of Brown Adipose Tissue Metabolism

Not Applicable
Completed
Conditions
Type 2 Diabetes
Interventions
Other: cold exposure
Drug: Mirbetriq (Mirabegron)
Radiation: injection of 18FDG
Radiation: injection of 11C-acetate
Radiation: [3-3H]-glucose
Other: [U-13C]-palmitate
Other: 2H-Glycerol
Registration Number
NCT02811289
Lead Sponsor
Université de Sherbrooke
Brief Summary

Lean tissue intracellular triglycerides (ICTG) accretion is an important marker of lean tissue lipotoxicity that significantly contributes to the development of type 2 diabetes (T2D). The mechanisms leading to excess exposure of lean tissues to fatty acids involve metabolic dysfunctions of adipose tissues and lean tissues themselves. Understanding the role of white and brown adipose tissue in this metabolic dysfunction is particularly important in predicting, preventing and treating T2D and many of its associated cardiovascular complications.

A recent breakthrough has been the demonstration that the acute oral administration of a β3 adrenergic agonist, mirabegron (200 mg), significantly increases BAT glucose uptake in healthy individuals. This suggests that mirabegron could be used as a pharmacological tool to selectively activate BAT metabolism as part of the mechanistic studies on BAT. It also suggests that mirabegron could be used pharmacologically for chronic activation of BAT in clinical trials to treat obesity and T2D. However, there are some outstanding issues regarding the use of mirabegron to activate BAT. First, there has been no direct comparison of the effect of acute cold vs. mirabegron on BAT metabolism. Second, there has been no demonstration of the effect of mirabegron on BAT oxidative metabolism since glucose uptake is only a surrogate of BAT energy expenditure. Third, acute administration of mirabegron led to significant increases in blood pressure and cardiac work, suggesting that it may also enhance energy expenditure in other organs in addition to BAT, thus confounding the role of BAT in energy homeostasis. Therefore, much remains to be known about the effect of mirabegron on BAT and cardiac energy metabolism before this drug can be used as a selective activator of BAT oxidative metabolism. The purpose of this study is to directly compare BAT oxidative metabolism under cold vs. β3-adrenergic agonist stimulation in lean healthy individuals. The investigator hypothesizes that the acute oral administration of a lower dose of mirabegron (50 mg) will result in an increase in BAT oxidative metabolism and whole-body energy expenditure, to a similar extent as cold exposure, without influencing the cardiovascular responses previously seen with the higher dose (200 mg).

Detailed Description

The first step of the study will be direct comparison of mirabegron (protocol A) vs. cold-induced (protocol B) BAT metabolic activation using 11C-acetate to measure BAT metabolic activity. The principle of this method is measurement of tissue fast disappearance of 11C, a marker of tissue 11CO2 production. This fast tissue 11C clearance thus gives an index of tissue oxidative metabolism. Ten healthy, non obese men will undergo two identical 5h procedures in which BAT metabolism will be stimulated with a β3-agonist (mirabegron 50mg) or using cold exposure, in random order. The investigator just received approval from Health Canada to use mirabegron as part of these metabolic investigations. In brief, baseline blood samples and indirect calorimetry will be performed between time -60 to -30 min followed by i.v. injection of 11C-acetate with 30 min dynamic PET/CT scanning at room temperature in both protocol A and B. Mirabegron will be administered orally at time 0 in protocol A whereas acute cold exposure protocol using a water-conditioned cooling suit will be applied from time 120 to 300 min in protocol B. At time 210 min (i.e. Tmax of plasma mirabegron level or 90 min after the onset of cold exposure), i.v. injection of 11C-acetate will be repeated followed by 30 min dynamic PET/CT scanning. I.v. injection of 18-fluorodeoxyglucose (18FDG) will be performed at time 270 min, followed by 30 min dynamic PET/CT scanning to determine BAT net glucose uptake and a whole-body PET/CT scan to determine BAT volume of metabolic activity and organ-specific glucose partitioning.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
COMPLETED
Sex
Male
Target Recruitment
22
Inclusion Criteria
  • BMI < 30 kg/m2
  • normal glucose tolerance (2-hour post 75g OGTT glucose at < 7.8 mmol/l
  • HbA1c < 5.8%
Exclusion Criteria
  • overt cardiovascular disease as assessed by medical history, physical exam, and abnormal ECG;
  • treatment with any drug known to affect lipid or carbohydrate metabolism;
  • presence of liver or renal disease, uncontrolled thyroid disorder, previous pancreatitis, bleeding disorder, or other major illness;
  • smoking (>1 cigarette/day) and/or consumption of >2 alcoholic beverages per day;
  • prior history or current fasting plasma cholesterol level > 7 mmol/l or fasting TG > 6 mmol/l.

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
PARALLEL
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
Mirabegron[U-13C]-palmitateMirbetriq (Mirabegron) (50mg) will be administered orally at time 0 to activate brown adipose tissue.
Mirabegron2H-GlycerolMirbetriq (Mirabegron) (50mg) will be administered orally at time 0 to activate brown adipose tissue.
Cold exposurecold exposureCold exposure protocol using a water-conditioned cooling suit will be applied
MirabegronMirbetriq (Mirabegron)Mirbetriq (Mirabegron) (50mg) will be administered orally at time 0 to activate brown adipose tissue.
Mirabegroninjection of 18FDGMirbetriq (Mirabegron) (50mg) will be administered orally at time 0 to activate brown adipose tissue.
Mirabegroninjection of 11C-acetateMirbetriq (Mirabegron) (50mg) will be administered orally at time 0 to activate brown adipose tissue.
Mirabegron[3-3H]-glucoseMirbetriq (Mirabegron) (50mg) will be administered orally at time 0 to activate brown adipose tissue.
Cold exposureinjection of 18FDGCold exposure protocol using a water-conditioned cooling suit will be applied
Cold exposureinjection of 11C-acetateCold exposure protocol using a water-conditioned cooling suit will be applied
Cold exposure[3-3H]-glucoseCold exposure protocol using a water-conditioned cooling suit will be applied
Cold exposure[U-13C]-palmitateCold exposure protocol using a water-conditioned cooling suit will be applied
Cold exposure2H-GlycerolCold exposure protocol using a water-conditioned cooling suit will be applied
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
BAT oxidative metabolism2 years

will be determined using i.v. injection of 11C-acetate during dynamic PET/CT scanning

BAT volume of metabolic activity2 years

will be determined using a total body CT (16 mA) followed by a PET acquisition.

BAT net glucose uptake2 years

will be assessed using i.v. injection of 18FDG with sequential dynamic PET/CT scanning.

whole body organ glucose partitioning2 years

will be determined using a total body CT (16 mA) followed by a PET acquisition be determined using a total body CT (16 mA) followed by a PET acquisition

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
lipolysis rate2 years

will be measured using i.v. administration of \[13C\]-palmitate and \[2H\]-glycerol, using steele's non steady state equations

Glucose appearance rate2 years

will be determined using \[3-3H\]-glucose

Energy expenditure2 years

will be determined by indirect calorimetry from VO2 and VCO2 (Vmax29n, Sensormedics)

Insulin sensitivity2 years

will be determined using the HOMA-IR (based on fasting insulin and glucose levels)

Insulin secretion rate2 years

will be assessed using deconvolution of plasma C-peptide with standard C-peptide kinetic parameters

β-cell function2 years

will be assessed by calculation of the disposition index (DI) that is insulin secretion in response to the ambient insulin sensitivity.

metabolite responses2 years

will be determined using a multiplex assay system

Electrocardiogram2 years

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

centre de recherche du CHUS

🇨🇦

Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada

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