ArticleThe Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism2026
Cold-Induced Serum Short-Chain Fatty Acids Act as Markers of Brown Adipose Tissue Metabolism in Humans.
Article in The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- Cold-Induced Serum Short-Chain Fatty Acids Act as Markers of Brown Adipose Tissue Metabolism in Humans.The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism · 2026Article
- Thermogenic adipose tissue in older adults with obesity: a narrative review of mechanisms, brown fat resistance, and the translational relevance of exercise and nutrition.Frontiers in nutrition · 2026Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
12 authors.
Funding
Abstract
contextShort-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) produced from dietary fiber fermentation can regulate adipose tissue metabolism through signaling pathways involving G protein-coupled receptors and histone deacetylase inhibition. While preclinical studies suggest they enhance thermogenesis, their role in human brown adipose tissue (BAT) under different thermal conditions remains unclear.
objectiveThis study explores the associations between circulating SCFAs and human BAT metabolism at room temperature and after cold exposure.
methodsThis cross-sectional study included data from 71 adults (aged 20-55 years, body mass index 19-44 kg/m2). Dynamic [15O]O2, [15O]H2O, [¹⁸F]FDG, and [¹⁸F]FTHA positron emission tomography/computed tomography scans were used to assess BAT metabolism. Serum SCFAs were quantified using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, and gene expression in biopsy-excised BAT samples (n = 14) was analyzed. Participants were stratified into low- and high-BAT groups based on [¹⁸F]FDG or [¹⁸F]FTHA uptakes.
resultsCold-induced acetate and propionate were positively associated with key in vivo BAT metabolism indicators, namely nonesterified fatty acid (NEFA) uptake and oxygen consumption. Only in the high-BAT group were circulating SCFAs maintained after cold exposure. BAT transcriptome revealed that genes involved in SCFA metabolism (such as conversion to acetyl-CoA) correlated with thermogenic and lipid metabolism genes exclusively in the high-BAT group, suggesting a distinct molecular link between SCFA pathways and BAT function.
conclusionCirculating SCFAs are linked with BAT oxidative metabolism and NEFA uptake during cold exposure. The observed correlations between SCFA catabolic genes and thermogenic markers suggest that metabolically active BAT may selectively engage SCFA-related pathways, pointing to a potential mechanistic role of SCFAs in supporting BAT function in humans.
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Registered trials
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