The effect of cold exposure on energy expenditure of mice fed an obesogenic diet

Objective

Cold exposure is one of the most powerful physiological stimuli for thermogenic adipose tissue activity and may positively impact metabolic homeostasis. An important gap in knowledge is whether mice with diet-induced obesity respond to cold similarly to their lean counterparts. The goal of the present study was to compare the response to cold exposure between mice fed a standard (normal-fat) diet and a higher-fat diet.

Methods

Male C56BL/6J mice fed a standard diet (13.1% fat) or a higher-fat diet (21.6% fat) during adulthood and exposed to cold (4-6°C) following different approaches. Body weight, body composition, food intake, rectal temperature, energy expenditure, and respiratory exchange ratio were assessed.

Results

Cold exposure significantly increased energy expenditure and limited weight gain despite elevated food intake in mice fed either a standard or a higher-fat diet, while body composition, body temperature, and respiratory exchange ratio remained stable across both dietary groups. Moreover, energy expenditure measured at 4-6 °C was comparable between mice fed standard and higher-fat diets, demonstrating that cold-induced thermogenesis may elicit a consistent metabolic response independent of dietary fat content.

Conclusions

Our results demonstrated that cold exposure increased energy expenditure in both lean and obese animals, highlighting thermogenesis as a promising target for obesity treatment beyond current approaches focusing on appetite suppression.

Highlights

• Cold exposure increases energy expenditure and limits weight gain in both control diet and higher-fat diet-fed mice, despite increased food intake.

• Core body temperature and body composition remain stable during cold exposure, regardless of dietary fat content.

• Cold-induced thermogenesis elicits a comparable metabolic response in control diet and higher-fat diet-fed mice, supporting its potential as a therapeutic strategy for obesity.