The role of brown adipose tissue in branched-chain amino acid clearance in people
Yasser G. Abdelhafez,
Guobao Wang,
Siqi Li,
Vanessa Pellegrinelli,
Abhijit J. Chaudhari,
Anthony Ramirez,
Fatma Sen,
Antonio Vidal-Puig,
Labros S. Sidossis,
Samuel Klein,
Ramsey D. Badawi,
Maria Chondronikola
Affiliations
Yasser G. Abdelhafez
Department of Radiology, University of California Davis, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA; Nuclear Medicine Unit, South Egypt Cancer Institute, Assiut University, El Fateh 71111, Egypt
Guobao Wang
Department of Radiology, University of California Davis, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA
Siqi Li
Department of Radiology, University of California Davis, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA
Vanessa Pellegrinelli
Institute of Metabolic Science-Metabolic Research Laboratories, Medical Research Council Metabolic Diseases Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0QQ, UK
Abhijit J. Chaudhari
Department of Radiology, University of California Davis, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA
Anthony Ramirez
Department of Nutrition, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
Fatma Sen
Department of Radiology, University of California Davis, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA
Antonio Vidal-Puig
Institute of Metabolic Science-Metabolic Research Laboratories, Medical Research Council Metabolic Diseases Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0QQ, UK
Labros S. Sidossis
Department of Kinesiology and Health, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA
Samuel Klein
Center for Human Nutrition, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO 63110, USA
Ramsey D. Badawi
Department of Radiology, University of California Davis, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA
Maria Chondronikola
Department of Radiology, University of California Davis, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA; Institute of Metabolic Science-Metabolic Research Laboratories, Medical Research Council Metabolic Diseases Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0QQ, UK; Department of Nutrition, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA; Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Harokopio University of Athens, 17778 Athens, Greece; Corresponding author
Summary: Brown adipose tissue (BAT) in rodents appears to be an important tissue for the clearance of plasma branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) contributing to improved metabolic health. However, the role of human BAT in plasma BCAA clearance is poorly understood. Here, we evaluate patients with prostate cancer who underwent positron emission tomography-computed tomography imaging after an injection of 18F-fluciclovine (L-leucine analog). Supraclavicular adipose tissue (AT; primary location of human BAT) has a higher net uptake rate for 18F-fluciclovine compared to subcutaneous abdominal and upper chest AT. Supraclavicular AT 18F-fluciclovine net uptake rate is lower in patients with obesity and type 2 diabetes. Finally, the expression of genes involved in BCAA catabolism is higher in the supraclavicular AT of healthy people with high BAT volume compared to those with low BAT volume. These findings support the notion that BAT can potentially function as a metabolic sink for plasma BCAA clearance in people.
