High-fructose feeding suppresses cold-stimulated brown adipose tissue glucose uptake in young men independently of changes in thermogenesis and the gut microbiome

Diets rich in added sugars, especially high in fructose, are associated with metabolic diseases such as insulin resistance, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Studies have shown a link between these pathologies and changes in the microbiome and its metabolites. Given the reported association between the microbiome and brown or beige adipose tissue (BAT) function in animal models, we investigated the potential link between high glucose or fructose diets and BAT dysfunction in humans. We show that BAT glucose uptake, but not thermogenesis, is impaired by a high fructose but not high glucose diet, in the absence of changes in body mass, the gastrointestinal microbiome, and stool short-chain fatty acids. We conclude that BAT metabolic dysfunction occurs independently from changes in the gut microbiome, and earlier than other pathophysiological abnormalities associated with insulin resistance and dyslipidemia during fructose overconsumption in humans.