Hypothermia-Induced Temperature Changes Uncover New Insights into Glucose Metabolism and Metabolic Diseases

Recent research has shed light on the intricate relationship between body temperature and glucose metabolism, particularly during states of hypothermia, such as hibernation. While it has long been observed that animals like hibernators lower their body temperature to conserve energy during periods of food scarcity, the exact causative link between temperature regulation and metabolic activity has remained elusive. Traditionally, scientists believed that metabolism generated heat, which then influenced body temperature. However, new studies using advanced mouse models have challenged this notion.

A team from the Exploratory Research Center on Life and Living Systems (ExCELLS) and the National Institute for Physiological Sciences (NIPS) employed a novel model called Q-neuron-induced hypothermia and hypometabolism (QIH). This model allows safe induction of hypothermia in mice, enabling researchers to investigate how lowered body temperature alone affects metabolic processes without confounding factors.

The findings revealed that reducing body temperature causes a significant decrease in glucose metabolism across various tissues, including brown adipose tissue, skeletal muscle, the heart, and the brain. Notably, mice in the hypothermic state exhibited elevated fasting glucose and insulin levels—key indicators of insulin resistance, a hallmark of type 2 diabetes. These high glucose and insulin levels normalized promptly after rewarming, demonstrating that body temperature itself actively regulates glucose metabolism rather than being merely a passive outcome.

This research indicates that body temperature is an active modulator of systemic metabolic health. It suggests that hypothermia can temporarily induce a diabetic-like state in healthy animals, which is reversible through rewarming. Such discoveries open promising avenues for non-pharmacological interventions targeting metabolic disorders like diabetes and obesity. Further investigations aim to uncover the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying this temperature-metabolism link, paving the way for innovative temperature-based therapies to manage metabolic disease and systemic inflammation.

Source: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-07-hypothermia-glucose-metabolism-reveal-mechanisms.html