Abstract
Objectives: Recent research suggests that brown adipose tissue (BAT) plays a functional role in non-shivering thermogenesis; however, few studies have examined population variation in BAT or its relationship with other mechanisms of adaptation to cold stress. This study characterized BAT thermogenesis and other adaptive responses to low temperatures among Indigenous Siberian young adults and young adults living near Chicago, IL. Materials and methods: We recruited 72 Yakut participants (42 females; 30 males) and 54 participants in Evanston, IL (40 females; 14 males). Anthropometric dimensions and resting metabolic rate (RMR) were measured, and we calculated percent divergence in RMR from expected values (divRMR). We also quantified change in supraclavicular temperature, sternum temperature, and energy expenditure after a mild cooling condition. Results: Participants in Yakutia were less likely to shiver during the cooling condition (p <.05) and exhibited significantly greater evidence of BAT thermogenesis, warmer sternum temperatures, and higher divRMR than participants in Evanston (p <.05). Additionally, the relationship between change in supraclavicular temperature and energy expenditure differed between the two samples. Conclusions: Yakut young adults displayed greater evidence of BAT thermogenesis in response to mild cooling compared with young adults living near Chicago, IL. Furthermore, the relationship between BAT thermogenesis and change in energy expenditure appears to be stronger among Yakut adults. Adults that exhibited greater metabolic response to cold stress, such as higher BAT thermogenesis and divRMR, maintained warmer sternum temperatures. These results highlight the degree to which adaptation to cold climates involves multiple integrated biological pathways.
Original language | English (US) |
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Article number | e23723 |
Journal | American Journal of Human Biology |
Volume | 34 |
Issue number | 6 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Jun 2022 |
Funding
The authors are most grateful to all the participants of this study. In addition, they thank the staff at the Gorny Regional Medical Center, the Research Institute of Health at NEFU, and the Medical Clinic at NEFU for their assistance and support. We are grateful to M. Uddin for her assistance with the tables and helpful feedback. Directorate for Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences, Grant/Award Number: NSF BCS‐1455804; Leakey Foundation; Northwestern University Funding information
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Anthropology
- Genetics
- Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
- Anatomy