Hyperpolarized Xenon-129 Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Spectroscopy of Brown Fat: Healthy Adult Volunteer Pilot Study

University of North Carolina (UNC)

Status and phase

Terminated

Phase 1

Conditions

Obesity

Treatments

Drug: Xenon

Study type

Interventional

Funder types

Other

Identifiers

NCT02220426

14-1211

Details and patient eligibility

About

The primary goal of this study is to evaluate the feasibility of detecting Brown Adipose Tissue (BAT) in healthy subjects by using hyperpolarized xenon gas MRI.

In this pilot study, MRI of BAT of healthy adult volunteers will be performed at 3 Tesla to assess image quality using a prototype surface coil and pulse sequence following inhalation of hyperpolarized 129Xe (xenon) gas at thermoneutrality and under mild cold condition.

The investigators are testing the abilities of xenon MRI to see brown adipose tissue and detect its thermogenic activity.

Full description

In the fight against obesity, brown adipose tissue (BAT) is considered to be the newest target. The hypothesis is that this tissue is partially responsible for the imbalance between energy intake and energy expenditure that keeps lean people lean and obese people obese.

As the detection of this tissue in adult humans is difficult, this study aim to evaluate the use of hyperpolarized xenon gas MRI for the detection of this tissue.

Hyperpolarized xenon gas MRI is currently used for lung ventilation studies. For this study subjects will undergo an MRI scan for which they will also inhaled hyperpolarized xenon. Scans will be done before and during stimulation of thermogenic activity by cold exposure, while MR images and spectra will be acquired from the supraclavicular area. We expect that the inhaled gas will diffuse into blood and eventually reach BAT in a manner proportional to the metabolic activity of this tissue.

Objectives of this studies are:

To detect BAT volume using hyperpolarized xenon MRI
To detect BAT thermogenic activity by hyperpolarized xenon Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy

Enrollment

17 patients

Sex

All

Ages

18 to 60 years old

Volunteers

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

Ability to give informed consent
Willing to participate in this study
Male or female ≥ 18 years of age at the time of the interview.
Subject has no diagnosed pulmonary condition
Subject has not smoked in the previous 5 years
Smoking history, if any, is less than or equal to 5 pack-years
Written informed consent (and assent when applicable) obtained from subject or subject's
legal representative and ability for subject to comply with the requirements of the study
Healthy subject that may or may not have undergone an fluorodeoxyglucose -Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scan

Exclusion criteria

Any contraindication to MRI (presence of any non-removable metal implant, stents, pacemaker, clips, staples, or piercings, etc. )
Subject does not fit in the magnet
Pregnancy or breast feeding
Severe claustrophobia
Subject is less than 18 years old
MRI is contraindicated based on responses to MRI screening questionnaire
Subject is pregnant or lactating
Respiratory illness of a bacterial or viral etiology within 15 days of MRI
Subject has received an investigational medicinal product (not including 129Xe) within 30 days of MRI
Subject has any form of known cardiovascular disease
Subject cannot hold their breath for 15 seconds
Subject deemed unlikely to be able to comply with instructions during imaging
Subject is taking beta blockers
Subject underwent an fluorodeoxyglucose-PET examination less than one week before the HP xenon MRI scan