Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)   Publisher：International Journal of Obesity  

BACKGROUND: Sympathetic activation of brown adipose tissue (BAT) thermogenesis can ameliorate obesity and related metabolic abnormalities. However, crucial subtypes of the β-adrenergic receptor (AR), as well as effects of its genetic variants on functions of BAT, remains unclear in humans. We conducted association analyses of genes encoding β-ARs and BAT activity in human adults. METHODS: Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in β1-, β2-, and β3-AR genes (ADRB1, ADRB2, and ADRB3) were tested for the association with BAT activity under mild cold exposure (19 °C, 2 h) in 399 healthy Japanese adults. BAT activity was measured using fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography and computed tomography (FDG-PET/CT). To validate the results, we assessed the effects of SNPs in the two independent populations comprising 277 healthy East Asian adults using near-infrared time-resolved spectroscopy (NIRTRS) or infrared thermography (IRT). Effects of SNPs on physiological responses to intensive cold exposure were tested in 42 healthy Japanese adult males using an artificial climate chamber. RESULTS: We found a significant association between a functional SNP (rs1042718) in ADRB2 and BAT activity assessed with FDG-PET/CT (p < 0.001). This SNP also showed an association with cold-induced thermogenesis in the population subset. Furthermore, the association was replicated in the two other independent populations; BAT activity was evaluated by NIRTRS or IRT (p < 0.05). This SNP did not show associations with oxygen consumption and cold-induced thermogenesis under intensive cold exposure, suggesting the irrelevance of shivering thermogenesis. The SNPs of ADRB1 and ADRB3 were not associated with these BAT-related traits. CONCLUSIONS: The present study supports the importance of β2-AR in the sympathetic regulation of BAT thermogenesis in humans. The present collection of DNA samples is the largest to which information on the donor's BAT activity has been assigned and can serve as a reference for further in-depth understanding of human BAT function.

DOI： 10.1038/s41366-024-01522-6

Web of Science

Scopus

PubMed

Authorship：Lead author   Language：Japanese   Publishing type：Research paper (bulletin of university, research institution)  

Language：Japanese   Publisher：Japanese Society of Computational Statistics  

This study examined whether educational interventions that prompt individuals to imagine living in an evacuation refuge affect their attentional responses to the refuge. Specifically, this study involved two conditions : one in which participants imagined living in a refuge using a tablet, and another in which participants imagined living in a refuge while conversing with others. Before and after these interventions, participants were shown images of the refuge, and their P3a and P3b event-related potentials (ERPs) were measured. The results showed that the P3a amplitude was significantly larger “after the intervention” compared to “before the intervention.” This suggests that the intervention made the refuge images more salient stimuli for the participants, leading to a greater allocation of attentional resources. Additionally, to investigate individual differences in attentional responses to the refuge, this study examined the correlation between P3a/P3b and empathy traits. The results indicated that individuals with higher cognitive empathy exhibited larger P3a amplitudes when imagining living in a refuge while conversing with others. This implies that for individuals with high empathy, the educational intervention of imagining living in a refuge through conversation with others serves as a significant trigger for attentional focus on the refuge.

DOI： 10.20551/jscswabun.37.2_99

CiNii Research

Authorship：Lead author,　Last author,　Corresponding author   Language：English   Publisher：Scientific Reports  

Correction to: Scientific Reports, published online 04 August 2023 The original version of this Article contained an error in Figure 2 where the data for Aldosterone (pg/mL) was incorrect. The original Figure 2 and accompanying legend appear below. (Figure presented.) Individual changes in blood components and cytokines. Each color corresponds to an individual subject. After HH, aldosterone and cortisol are significantly decreased (p < 0.05) and WBC count, IL-6 and IL-8 are significantly increased (p < 0.05). The original Article has been corrected.

DOI： 10.1038/s41598-023-40794-2

Web of Science

Scopus

PubMed

Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)   Publisher：Scientific Reports  

When lowlanders are exposed to environments inducing hypobaric hypoxia (HH) such as high mountains, hemodynamic changes occur to maintain oxygen levels in the body. However, changes to other physiological functions under such conditions have yet to be clarified. This study investigated changes in endocrine, inflammatory and immune parameters and individual differences during acute HH exposure using a climatic chamber (75 min of exposure to conditions mimicking 3500 m) in healthy lowlanders. Aldosterone and cortisol were significantly decreased and interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8 and white blood cell (WBC) counts were significantly increased after HH. Lower peripheral oxygen saturation (SpO2) was associated with higher IL-6 and WBC counts, and higher IL-8 was associated with higher cortisol. These findings suggest that endocrine, inflammatory and immune responses are evoked even with a short 75-min exposure to HH and individuals with lower SpO2 seemed to show more pronounced responses. Our results provide basic data for understanding the physiological responses and interactions of homeostatic systems during acute HH.

DOI： 10.1038/s41598-023-39894-w

Web of Science

Scopus

PubMed

Event date： 2025.10

Presentation type：Oral presentation (general)  

Event date： 2025.5

Presentation type：Oral presentation (general)  

Event date： 2025.5

Presentation type：Poster presentation  

Event date： 2024.6

Presentation type：Poster presentation  

Event date： 2024.6

Presentation type：Oral presentation (general)  

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