Intermittent Cold Exposure and Brown Adipose Tissue Hyperplasia

Recruiting now · Not applicable

Conditions studied: Brown Adipose Tissue, Cold Exposure, 18F-FDG PET/CT

In brief

This clinical trial explores how repeated short-term cold exposure impacts the molecular and physiological function of brown adipose tissue (BAT), a thermogenic organ associated with improved cardiometabolic health. While intermittent cold exposure has been shown to increase BAT activity and mass, as measured by fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) uptake on positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) scans, the molecular adaptations within BAT and other thermogenic tissues including skeletal muscle and white adipose tissue (WAT) remain poorly understood. Healthy adults aged 18 to 40 years (6 males and 6 females) will participate in a 10-day cold acclimation protocol (2 hours per day using water-perfused cooling blankets). The primary objective is to determine how cold exposure alters cellular heterogeneity and gene expression in BAT, WAT, and skeletal muscle. Participants will undergo baseline assessments, including measurements of energy expenditure, core and skin temperature, muscle activity, and blood sampling, each performed in both warm and cold conditions. These assessments will be followed by dynamic total-body PET/CT imaging during cold exposure and tissue biopsies from BAT, subcutaneous WAT, and skeletal muscle. These procedures will be repeated after the cold acclimation protocol to evaluate physiological and molecular changes. Additional outcomes include changes in energy expenditure, cold tolerance, and immune cell responses induced by cold exposure.

Key facts

Study ID

NCT07048405

Run by

University of Edinburgh

People needed

12

Starts

2025-05-01

Expected to finish

2027-07-01

Last updated by the study team

2026-06-30

Who can join

Age: 18 and older, up to 40. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: accepted.

You may qualify if…

• Aged 18-40 years
• Body mass index 18.5-25 kg/m2
• Weight change of less than 5% in the past 6 months
• No acute or chronic medical conditions
• On no regular medications (other than contraceptives in female participants)
• No claustrophobia
• Alcohol intake ≤14 units/ week
• Screening blood tests within acceptable limits (of no clinical significance)
• Not currently pregnant, lactating or breastfeeding (female participants only)
• Ability to provide informed consent.

You may not qualify if…

• Not meeting inclusion criteria
• Contra-indication to PET/CT scan
• Allergy to local anaesthetic

Where it is running

• Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh — Edinburgh, United Kingdom (enrolling)

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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