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Study of Human Non-Shivering Thermogenesis and Basal Metabolic Rate

The safety and scientific validity of this study is the responsibility of the study sponsor and investigators. Listing a study does not mean it has been evaluated by the U.S. Federal Government. Know the risks and potential benefits of clinical studies and talk to your health care provider before participating. Read our disclaimer for details.
 
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01950520
Recruitment Status : Recruiting
First Posted : September 25, 2013
Last Update Posted : May 26, 2023
Sponsor:
Information provided by (Responsible Party):
National Institutes of Health Clinical Center (CC) ( National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) )

Brief Summary:

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

Condition or disease Intervention/treatment Phase
Healthy Volunteers Drug: Propranolol Drug: Pindolol Drug: Dantrolene Drug: Magnesium Sulfate Drug: Caffeine Drug: Qysmia Drug: Topiramate Behavioral: Phentermine Drug: Naltrexone Drug: Mirabegron 50mg Drug: Mirabegron 200mg Drug: Placebo Cohort 1 Drug: Placebo Cohort 2 Drug: Placebo for Mirabegron Phase 2

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.

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Study Type : Interventional  (Clinical Trial)
Estimated Enrollment : 134 participants
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Crossover Assignment
Masking: Single (Participant)
Primary Purpose: Basic Science
Official Title: The Mechanism of Human Non-Shivering Thermogenesis and Basal Metabolic Rate
Actual Study Start Date : February 7, 2014
Estimated Primary Completion Date : February 2, 2024
Estimated Study Completion Date : February 2, 2025

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)




Primary Outcome Measures :
  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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).



Information from the National Library of Medicine

Choosing to participate in a study is an important personal decision. Talk with your doctor and family members or friends about deciding to join a study. To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contacts provided below. For general information, Learn About Clinical Studies.


Layout table for eligibility information
Ages Eligible for Study:   18 Years to 35 Years   (Adult)
Sexes Eligible for Study:   Male
Accepts Healthy Volunteers:   Yes
Criteria
  • 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.

Information from the National Library of Medicine

To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contact information provided by the sponsor.

Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier (NCT number): NCT01950520


Contacts
Layout table for location contacts
Contact: Margaret S McGehee, C.R.N.P. (301) 594-6799 mcgeheems@mail.nih.gov
Contact: Kong Y Chen, Ph.D. (301) 451-1636 chenkong@niddk.nih.gov

Locations
Layout table for location information
United States, Maryland
National Institutes of Health Clinical Center Recruiting
Bethesda, Maryland, United States, 20892
Sponsors and Collaborators
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)
Investigators
Layout table for investigator information
Principal Investigator: Kong Y Chen, Ph.D. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)
Additional Information:
Publications:
Publications automatically indexed to this study by ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier (NCT Number):
Layout table for additonal information
Responsible Party: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01950520    
Other Study ID Numbers: 130200
13-DK-0200
First Posted: September 25, 2013    Key Record Dates
Last Update Posted: May 26, 2023
Last Verified: May 5, 2023
Individual Participant Data (IPD) Sharing Statement:
Plan to Share IPD: Yes
Plan Description: .All IPD that underlie results in a publication
Supporting Materials: Study Protocol
Informed Consent Form (ICF)
Time Frame: IPD will be available by request to the PI following publication of results
Access Criteria: By request to PI with approved protocol to analyze IPD

Layout table for additional information
Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated Drug Product: Yes
Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated Device Product: No
Keywords provided by National Institutes of Health Clinical Center (CC) ( National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) ):
Adipose Tissue
Adult
Resting Energy Expenditure
RESPIRATORY QUOTIENT
BASAL METABOLIC RATE
Additional relevant MeSH terms:
Layout table for MeSH terms
Topiramate
Phentermine
Magnesium Sulfate
Propranolol
Pindolol
Naltrexone
Caffeine
Dantrolene
Mirabegron
Alcohol Deterrents
Narcotic Antagonists
Physiological Effects of Drugs
Sensory System Agents
Peripheral Nervous System Agents
Central Nervous System Stimulants
Phosphodiesterase Inhibitors
Enzyme Inhibitors
Molecular Mechanisms of Pharmacological Action
Purinergic P1 Receptor Antagonists
Purinergic Antagonists
Purinergic Agents
Neurotransmitter Agents
Analgesics
Anesthetics
Central Nervous System Depressants
Anti-Arrhythmia Agents
Anticonvulsants
Calcium Channel Blockers
Membrane Transport Modulators
Calcium-Regulating Hormones and Agents