BRown Fat Activity Measurement With Infrared imaginG tHermography andThermogenesis - the BRIGHT Study

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: Obesity; Energy Expenditure; Adipose Tissue, Brown
• Interventions: Other: Cold air; Other: Cold water

• Registration Number: NCT02790255
• Lead Sponsor: Clinical Nutrition Research Centre, Singapore

Brief Summary

The whole body calorimeter is sensitive enough to reliably measure cold-induced thermogenesis as a surrogate marker of brown adipose tissue (BAT) activation.

The infrared (IR) energy flux from activated BAT can be accurately imaged and quantified using an IR imaging device, and that this IR energy output may be correlated to the increased energy expenditure quantified by the whole body calorimeter.

Detailed Description

The recent rediscovery of functional brown adipose tissue (BAT) in healthy adults has opened up the exciting possibility of manipulating BAT for obesity management, and it is imperative to develop BAT imaging modalities that are non-invasive and safe for repeated use. Given that heat is a specific end-product of uncoupling protein-1 (UCP-1)-mediated BAT, this study examines whether surface body temperature assessed using infrared (IR) thermography can be a non-invasive measure to accurately and precisely predict brown adipose tissue (BAT) activation upon cold stimulation, which involves verifying an semi-automated method for characterizing thermal images. In addition, this study also aims to validate the use of a whole-body calorimeter to pick up changes in energy expenditure upon cold-induced thermogenesis. Lean, healthy male volunteers will be recruited. Thermal imaging of cervical-supraclavicular BAT will be done using an IR camera to assess changes in BAT activation. Blood samples will also be drawn at regular intervals to track changes in serum metabolites upon BAT activation. All in all, this study hopes to provide more supporting evidence that IR thermography is a viable imaging modality that is non-invasive, safe and reproducible of studying BAT activity.

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2014-11
• Study First Submitted: 2016-05-31
• Study First Submitted QC: 2016-05-31
• Study First Posted: 2016-06-03
• Primary Completion: 2018-11-05
• Study Completion: 2018-11-05
• Status Verified: 2019-05
• Last Update Submitted: 2019-05-14
• Last Update Posted: 2019-05-15

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: Male
• Target Recruitment: 20

Inclusion Criteria

• Male
• Ethnic Chinese
• Age between 21 to 35 years
• Body Mass Index 18.5 to 22.9
• Normal resting blood pressure ~120/80 mmHg
• Normal fasting blood glucose level <5.5 mmol/L

Exclusion Criteria

• Do not train for or partake in competitive sports
• Do not have any major diseases
• Not on any prescribed medication

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: CROSSOVER

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Cold air	Cold air	Subjects to be seated in an airtight chamber at an ambient temperature between 16 to 20 degrees Celsius for 1 hour.
Cold water	Cold water	Subjects to be seated in an airtight chamber at an ambient temperature of 24 degrees Celsius, with their hands and feet fully immersed in cold water for 5 minutes.

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Temperature at cervical-supraclavicular region	45 minutes cold exposure	The temperature at the cervical-supraclavicular region following cold exposure will be determined using infrared thermal imaging.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Energy expenditure during cold exposure	45 minutes cold exposure	Energy expenditure during cold exposure will be determined using the whole-body calorimeter.