Exosomal microRNA miR-92a concentration in serum reflects human brown fat activity

Yong Chen, Joschka J. Buyel, Mark J. W. Hanssen, Franziska Siegel, Ruping Pan, Jennifer Naumann, Michael Schell, Anouk van der Lans, Christian Schlein, Holger Froehlich, Joerg Heeren, Kirsi A. Virtanen, Wouter van Marken Lichtenbelt and Alexander Pfeifer ()
Additional contact information
Yong Chen: Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University Hospital Bonn, University of Bonn, Sigmund-Freud Strasse 25, 53127 Bonn, Germany
Joschka J. Buyel: Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University Hospital Bonn, University of Bonn, Sigmund-Freud Strasse 25, 53127 Bonn, Germany
Mark J. W. Hanssen: NUTRIM School for Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism, Maastricht University Medical Center
Franziska Siegel: Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University Hospital Bonn, University of Bonn, Sigmund-Freud Strasse 25, 53127 Bonn, Germany
Ruping Pan: Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University Hospital Bonn, University of Bonn, Sigmund-Freud Strasse 25, 53127 Bonn, Germany
Jennifer Naumann: Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University Hospital Bonn, University of Bonn, Sigmund-Freud Strasse 25, 53127 Bonn, Germany
Michael Schell: Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University Hospital Bonn, University of Bonn, Sigmund-Freud Strasse 25, 53127 Bonn, Germany
Anouk van der Lans: NUTRIM School for Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism, Maastricht University Medical Center
Christian Schlein: University Medical Center
Holger Froehlich: Research Training Group 1873, University of Bonn
Joerg Heeren: University Medical Center
Kirsi A. Virtanen: Turku PET Center, Turku University Hospital
Wouter van Marken Lichtenbelt: NUTRIM School for Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism, Maastricht University Medical Center
Alexander Pfeifer: Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University Hospital Bonn, University of Bonn, Sigmund-Freud Strasse 25, 53127 Bonn, Germany

Nature Communications, 2016, vol. 7, issue 1, 1-9

Abstract: Abstract Brown adipose tissue (BAT) dissipates energy and its activity correlates with leanness in human adults. 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) positron emission tomography coupled with computer tomography (PET/CT) is still the standard for measuring BAT activity, but exposes subjects to ionizing radiation. To study BAT function in large human cohorts, novel diagnostic tools are needed. Here we show that brown adipocytes release exosomes and that BAT activation increases exosome release. Profiling miRNAs in exosomes released from brown adipocytes, and in exosomes isolated from mouse serum, we show that levels of miRNAs change after BAT activation in vitro and in vivo. One of these exosomal miRNAs, miR-92a, is also present in human serum exosomes. Importantly, serum concentrations of exosomal miR-92a inversely correlate with human BAT activity measured by 18F-FDG PET/CT in two unique and independent cohorts comprising 41 healthy individuals. Thus, exosomal miR-92a represents a potential serum biomarker for BAT activity in mice and humans.

Date: 2016
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DOI: 10.1038/ncomms11420

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