Ricerc@Sapienza

In the last decade growing interest has been directed to the BAT due to its potential as a therapeutic target to treat obesity. The most remarkable aspect is represented by the BAT plasticity present in adults. The ability to recruit beige adipocytes within WAT has further added to the focus on BAT, or more strictly on UCP1-dependent adipocyte thermogenesis, as a therapeutic route in obesity. The best-known and effective inducer of brown adipogenesis and function is norepinephrine.. Of particular interest from the perspective of novel therapeutics for obesity and diabetes, there have now been identified additional specific-secreted signaling molecules that trigger brown adipocyte development, including nodal, wingless, sirtuins, ketone bodies and members of the fibroblast growth factor (FGF). The objective of the present study is to explore the role of BAT activation in response to an oral fat tolerance test in subjects with obesity through the combination of three relevant methods: 1. the use of infrared thermography to identify and quantify BAT activation; 2. the use of indirect calorimetry in order to measure energy expenditure in response to meal-related BAT activation; 3. the measurement of heart rate variability as a proxy of the sympathetic system activation, which is an important mediator of BAT function and activity. Participants will be recruited among subjects referring to the Section of Medical Pathophysiology, Food Science and Endocrinology - Department of Experimental Medicine, ¿Sapienza¿ University of Rome, Italy, over a 1-year period. Primary outcome measure: Infrared thermography- related temperature changes during the oral fat load. Secondary outcome measures: Energy expenditure.Thermic effect of food (Indirect calorimetry). Postprandial lipids trajectories. Fasting and postprandial substrate oxidation (AUC CHO and AUC FAT oxidation: mg/min; time point respiratory quotient))Heart rate variability changes during the test meal.