Premium
Mild cold and overfeeding adaptive thermogenesis: role of mitochondrial uncoupling
Author(s) -
Wijers Sander L.J.,
Schrauwen Patrick,
Saris Wim H.M.,
Marken Lichtenbelt Wouter D
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.22.1_supplement.958.12
Subject(s) - thermogenesis , uncoupling protein , brown adipose tissue , respirometry , endocrinology , medicine , skeletal muscle , respiration , thermogenin , mitochondrion , bioenergetics , biology , atp synthase , chemistry , adipose tissue , biochemistry , anatomy , enzyme
Mild cold exposure and overfeeding are known to elevate energy expenditure, so‐called adaptive thermogenesis. In adult humans, mitochondrial uncoupling in skeletal muscle tissue is a candidate mechanism. We aim to investigate whether diet induced and cold induced adaptive thermogenesis in humans are related to mitochondrial uncoupling in skeletal muscle tissue. The metabolic response to mild cold and overfeeding in 13 lean adult male subjects was measured in a respiration chamber in a baseline condition, after three days of mild cold exposure, and after three days of overfeeding. After each respiration chamber measurement a muscle biopsy was taken, in which mitochondrial uncoupling was measured by high‐resolution respirometry. The uncoupling ratio was defined as state 4 respiration (substrates + ADP + ATP‐synthase blocker) divided by state 3 respiration (substrates + ADP). Total daily energy expenditure increased after overfeeding with 6.9% (0.79 MJ/day) and after mild cold exposure with 5.7% (0.65 MJ/day). Uncoupling ratio increased with respectively 58 and 24%. Uncoupling ratio correlated significantly with total daily energy expenditure (R 2 =0.533, p=0.01). This study for the first time shows that skeletal muscle has the intrinsic capacity for adaptive thermogenesis in humans via mitochondrial uncoupling.