Study of Human Non-Shivering Thermogenesis and Basal Metabolic Rate

April 17, 2024 updated by: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)

The Mechanism of Human Non-Shivering Thermogenesis and Basal Metabolic Rate

Background:

- Changes in how a person s body burns energy or calories can affect their weight over time. The lowest level of energy the body needs to function is called basal metabolic rate. In the cold, we burn extra energy, even before we start to shiver. This is called non-shivering thermogenesis and it occurs in different types of tissue such as muscle and fat. Researchers want to learn more about this type of energy burning and how it is regulated. They hope this will help treat obesity in the future.

Objectives:

  • Sub-study 1: to better understand how non-shivering thermogenesis works.
  • Sub-study 2: to measure the effects of anti-obesity drugs on basal metabolic rate.
  • Sub-study 3: to better understand the effects of mirabegron, a beta-3 adrenergic receptor agonist, on brown fat activity.

Eligibility:

- Healthy, lean adult males ages 18 to 35.

Design:

  • Participants will be screened with medical history, physical exam, blood test, and EKG.

  • For sub-studies 1 and 2:

    • Participants will receive one X-ray scan.
    • Each day, all participants will:

<TAB>- Have height and weight measured, and have urine collected.

  • Spend 4 hours in a temperature-controlled room with furniture, toilet area, phone, and computer. They will wear small non-invasive devices to monitor activity, heart rate, temperature, and shivering.

<TAB>- Walk for 30 minutes.

-For sub-study 3:

  • Participants will receive one DXA scan and up to 4 PET/CT scans and 4 MRIs
  • Each stay, all participants will:

<TAB>- Have height and weight measured, and have urine collected.

  • Spend 6 hours in a temperature-controlled room with furniture, toilet area, phone, and computer. They will wear small non-invasive devices to monitor activity, heart rate, temperature, and shivering.
  • Participants will be compensated for their time and participation at the end of the study

Study Overview

Status

Recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

The balance between energy expenditure (EE) and energy intake ultimately determines body weight. Resting EE is the major component (60-75%) of total EE in an adult human being. Resting EE dynamically adapts to environmental changes such as ambient temperature. In our on-going study of environmental temperature changes within and around the thermoneutral zone, we observed that healthy young men can increase EE by 17 % of the basal metabolic rate through the process of non-shivering thermogenesis (NST). This capacity for NST is unexpectedly large as compared to prior reports of mild cold-induced thermogenesis (3 to 11%) and suggests that increasing NST could be explored as an intervention to combat obesity.

The aim of this study is to better understand the physiology of NST and to develop improved assays for evaluating the effect of drugs that alter EE. For example, only recently has it been realized that brown adipose tissue is functional in adult humans and that white adipose tissue can be converted to brown-adipose-like tissue to increase heat production during cold exposures. Moreover, skeletal muscle likely also plays a role in cold-induced thermogenesis even before overt shivering occurs. It is plausible that the mechanisms governing heat production for NST contribute to regulation of body weight and thus may be contributing to the current obesity epidemic: even small changes in EE, if not compensated by changes in food intake, can have long-term effects on body weight.

This protocol has two phases. The first uses a pharmacologic approach to investigate the mechanism of NST in young healthy lean males. Since the principal physiologic stimulus to BAT (and possibly muscle for NST) is via the sympathetic nervous system (SNS), beta-adrenergic receptors may hold key roles in regulating human EE. We hypothesize that, by careful measurements of NST (at an individually-titrated cool environmental temperature, between 18 21 degrees C vs. at thermoneutrality of 27 degrees C) and using beta-adrenergic drugs that differ in receptor specificity and agonist/antagonist properties, we will gain better understanding of the regulation of human NST.

The second phase of the study focuses on measuring of FDA-approved drugs (such as anti-obesity drugs) potential effect on basal metabolic rate (BMR) under thermoneutral conditions. The rationale is that previous studies of drug effect on EE in humans have not always rigorously enforced the use of thermoneutral conditions, thus may have increased variability and underestimated the effect, contributing to inconclusive findings.

It is envisioned that this study will further our knowledge of the mechanisms that regulate the acute adaptive changes in resting energy expenditure and the effects of drug therapy targeting obesity in humans.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

134

Phase

  • Phase 2

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact Backup

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Maryland
      • Bethesda, Maryland, United States, 20892
        • Recruiting
        • National Institutes of Health Clinical Center

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years to 35 years (Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

  • INCLUSION CRITERIA:
  • Generally healthy
  • Males between the age 18-35 years
  • Written informed consent.

EXCLUSION CRITERIA:

  • BMI less than 18.5 or greater than 25.0 kg/M(2)
  • History of cardiovascular disease such as congestive heart failure, heart block, clinically abnormal EKG as determined by investigators
  • History of liver disease or ALT serum level greater than two times the laboratory upper limit of normal
  • History of kidney diseases or renal insufficiency or estimated creatinine clearance less than or equal to 50 mL/min (MDRD equation)
  • History of cancer or bariatric surgery
  • History of diabetes mellitus or fasting serum glucose > 126 mg/dL
  • History of hypo- or hyper-thyroid or abnormal TSH, except minor deviations deemed to be of no clinical significance by the investigator.
  • History of asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and glaucoma
  • Psychological conditions, such as (but not limited to) claustrophobia, clinical depression, bipolar disorders, that would be incompatible with safe and successful participation in this study
  • Weight change >5 percent in the past 6 months or a trained athlete
  • Blood pressure greater than 140/90 mmHg or current antihypertensive therapy
  • Iron deficiency (Hemoglobin <13.7 g/dL and Hematocrit <40.1%)
  • History of illicit drug, opioids, or alcohol abuse within the last 5 years; current use of drugs (by history) or alcohol (CAGE greater than or equal to 2) (95)
  • Current use of medications/dietary supplements/alternative therapies known to alter energy metabolism
  • Current medications that may have interactions with study drugs as determined by the investigators
  • History of adverse or allergic reactions to the study drugs
  • Daily caffeine intake >500 mg (about 4 cups) and have withdrawal symptoms
  • Current smoker or user of tobacco products
  • Cannot commit to the schedule of visits to the Clinical Research Center (CRC) as required by the study timeline
  • Have had previous radiation exposure within the last year (X-rays, PET scans, etc.) that would exceed research limits (please let us know if you have received radiation for research purposes)
  • Have inflexible dietary restrictions
  • Any other reason that the investigator thinks would make interpretation of the study results difficult.
  • For subjects having an MRD (cOHORT 3), history of pacemaker, metallic heart valves, aneurysm clip, pedicle screws, metallic foreign body in eye, or other metallic implant.
  • For subjects receiving mirabegron (Cohort 3), a diagnosis of bladder outlet obstruction or the use of antimuscarinic medications for the treatement of overactive bladder.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Basic Science
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Crossover Assignment
  • Masking: Double

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Cohort 2
Interventions, in random order, will be administered during one of the six one-day stays
Drug: Caffeine
Caffeine 200mg, oral, by mouth (Cohort 2 only)
Drug: Qysmia
Qysmia (topiramate 92mg CR, phentermine 15mg PO), oral, by mouth (Cohort 2 only)
Drug: Topiramate
Topiramate 200mg, oral, by mouth (Cohort 2 only)
Behavioral: Phentermine
Phentermine 37.5mg, oral, by mouth (Cohort 2 only)
Drug: Naltrexone
Naltrexone 100mg, oral, by mouth (Cohort 2 only)
Drug: Placebo Cohort 2
Placebo, oral, by mouth (Cohort 2 only)
Experimental: Cohort 3
Interventions, in random order, will be administered during one of the four overnight inpatient stays
Drug: Mirabegron 50mg
Mirabegron 50mg, oral, by mouth (Cohort 3 only)
Drug: Mirabegron 200mg
Mirabegron 200mg, oral, by mouth (Cohort 3 only)
Drug: Placebo for Mirabegron
Placebo for Mirabegron, oral, by mouth (Cohort 3 only)
Experimental: Low Temperature 1st
Low temperature before 27c (Cohort 1 only)
Drug: Propranolol
Propanolol 160mg, oral, by mouth (Cohort 1 only)
Drug: Pindolol
Pindolol 20mg, oral, by mouth (Cohort 1 only)
Drug: Dantrolene
Dantrolene 100mg, oral, by mouth (Cohort 1 only)
Drug: Magnesium Sulfate
Magnesium Sulfate, infusion, 50 mg/kg bolus followed by maintenance infusion at 2g/h (Cohort 1 only)
Drug: Placebo Cohort 1
Placebo, oral, by mouth (Cohort 1 only)
Experimental: Low Temperature 2nd
Low temperature after 27c (Cohort 1 only)
Drug: Propranolol
Propanolol 160mg, oral, by mouth (Cohort 1 only)
Drug: Pindolol
Pindolol 20mg, oral, by mouth (Cohort 1 only)
Drug: Dantrolene
Dantrolene 100mg, oral, by mouth (Cohort 1 only)
Drug: Magnesium Sulfate
Magnesium Sulfate, infusion, 50 mg/kg bolus followed by maintenance infusion at 2g/h (Cohort 1 only)
Drug: Placebo Cohort 1
Placebo, oral, by mouth (Cohort 1 only)

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Resting Energy Expenditure at low temperature
Time Frame: Cohort 1: Days 1-17 Cohorts 2: Six one-day overnight inpatient stays over a six to twelve week period. Cohort 3: Four one-day overnight inpatient stays over a 12-week period.
Resting energy expenditure (REE) at a temperature just above the subject s placebo shivering threshold.
Cohort 1: Days 1-17 Cohorts 2: Six one-day overnight inpatient stays over a six to twelve week period. Cohort 3: Four one-day overnight inpatient stays over a 12-week period.
BAT activity (Cohort 3 only)
Time Frame: Cohort 3: Four one-day overnight inpatient stays over a 12-week period.
Brown adipose tissue (BAT) activity is a quantification of tissue volume and metabolic activity per unit volume.
Cohort 3: Four one-day overnight inpatient stays over a 12-week period.
Basal metabolic rate
Time Frame: Cohort 1: Days 1-17 Cohorts 2: Six one-day overnight inpatient stays over a six to twelve week period. Cohort 3: Four one-day overnight inpatient stays over a 12-week period.
Basal metabolic rate (BMR) is the resting energy expenditure (REE) at thermoneutrality (27c).
Cohort 1: Days 1-17 Cohorts 2: Six one-day overnight inpatient stays over a six to twelve week period. Cohort 3: Four one-day overnight inpatient stays over a 12-week period.

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Kong Y Chen, Ph.D., National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Helpful Links

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

February 7, 2014

Primary Completion (Estimated)

February 2, 2025

Study Completion (Estimated)

February 2, 2025

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

September 21, 2013

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

September 21, 2013

First Posted (Estimated)

September 25, 2013

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

April 18, 2024

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

April 17, 2024

Last Verified

March 20, 2024

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 130200
  • 13-DK-0200

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

YES

IPD Plan Description

.All IPD that underlie results in a publication

IPD Sharing Time Frame

IPD will be available by request to the PI following publication of results

IPD Sharing Access Criteria

By request to PI with approved protocol to analyze IPD

IPD Sharing Supporting Information Type

  • STUDY_PROTOCOL
  • ICF

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

Yes

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

Clinical Trials on Healthy Volunteers

Clinical Trials on Caffeine

Search Similar Trials

Sponsors and Collaborators

Medical Conditions

Drug Interventions

CROs by country

CROs in Argentina

Conditions

Rare Diseases

Drug Interventions

Dietary Supplements

Sponsor/Collaborators

Locations

3
Subscribe