Investigating Whether Acute Elevation of Fatty Acid Levels Alters Cerebral Glucose Transport and Metabolism

Description

The goal of this study is to understand the role of brain glucose transport in individuals with obesity and the association with cerebral hypometabolism and these individuals' response to plasma glucose elevations. The main premise is that obesity leads to reduced brain glucose transport and that we can measure this reduction with magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS). The secondary premises are that this reduction is driven by elevated non esterified fatty acids which act to turn on specific signaling pathways that regulate brain GLUT1 levels.

Conditions

Obesity

Study Overview

Study Details

Study overview

The goal of this study is to understand the role of brain glucose transport in individuals with obesity and the association with cerebral hypometabolism and these individuals' response to plasma glucose elevations. The main premise is that obesity leads to reduced brain glucose transport and that we can measure this reduction with magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS). The secondary premises are that this reduction is driven by elevated non esterified fatty acids which act to turn on specific signaling pathways that regulate brain GLUT1 levels.

Investigating Whether Acute Elevation of Fatty Acid Levels Alters Cerebral Glucose Transport and Metabolism

Investigating Whether Acute Elevation of Fatty Acid Levels Alters Cerebral Glucose Transport and Metabolism

Condition
Obesity
Intervention / Treatment

-

Contacts and Locations

Chapel Hill

Biomedical Research Imaging Center Marsico Hall (UNC), Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States, 27514

Chapel Hill

Clinical and Translational Research Center (CTRC) Burnett-Womack Building (UNC), Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States, 27514

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

For general information about clinical research, read Learn About Studies.

Eligibility Criteria

  • * Age 18-45 years
  • * HbA1C \<6.5%
  • * Normal weight individuals: BMI 17-25 kg/m\^2
  • * Obese individuals: BMI \>30 kg/m\^2
  • * Creatinine \>1.5mg/dL
  • * Hematocrit \<35% for females and \<39% for males
  • * ALT and AST \>2.5X upper limit of normal
  • * Abnormal TSH
  • * Abnormal PT/PTT/INR
  • * Triglycerides \>200 mg/dL
  • * Known hepatic, gastrointestinal, renal, neurologic, psychiatric, cerebrovascular disease
  • * Uncontrolled hypertension
  • * Current or past 3 months use of ketogenic diet
  • * Use of any medications, vitamins, or supplements that can alter cerebral metabolism or lipids
  • * Smoking
  • * Current or recent steroid use in last 6 months
  • * \>5% body weight change in last 6 months
  • * Illicit drug use/alcoholism
  • * Inability to enter MRI/MRS
  • * For women: pregnancy, seeking pregnancy, or breastfeeding

Ages Eligible for Study

18 Years to 45 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Collaborators and Investigators

University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill,

Janice Jin Hwang, MD, MHS, PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

Study Record Dates

2025-06-01