Skip to main content
PMC home page
Biochemical Journal logoLink to Biochemical Journal
. 1970 Aug;119(1):103–111. doi: 10.1042/bj1190103

A comparison between the effects of cold exposure in vivo and of noradrenaline in vitro on the metabolism of the brown fat of new-born rabbits

B L Knight 1, N B Myant 1
PMCID: PMC1179324  PMID: 5485744

Abstract

1. Exposure of new-born rabbits to the cold leads to an increase in the incorporation of [14C]glucose into the glycerol of brown-fat triglyceride, but has no effect on [14C]glucose incorporation into triglyceride of white fat or liver. The effect of cold exposure on brown-fat triglyceride is abolished by cutting the cervical sympathetic nerve. 2. Brown fat incorporates very little [14C]glucose into triglyceride fatty acids, either in vivo or in vitro. 3. Noradrenaline added to incubations of brown fat from new-born rabbits stimulates O2 consumption, CO2 output and incorporation of glucose into triglyceride glycerol. The effects of noradrenaline in vitro are therefore consistent with the hypothesis that noradrenaline mediates the response of the brown fat of new-born rabbits to cold exposure. 4. Glycerokinase is present in the brown fat of new-born rabbits, but its activity is much less than that of the glycerokinase in the brown fat of adult rats. 5. Insulin has no effect on O2 consumption, CO2 output or glucose uptake in brown fat of new-born rabbits. 6. It is concluded that the thermogenic response of new-born rabbits to cold exposure is accompanied by a selective acceleration of the triglyceride cycle in brown fat. However, resynthesis of triglyceride would not account for more than 1% of the O2 consumed in vitro by new-born rabbit brown fat in the presence of noradrenaline if respiration remains coupled to phosphorylation.

Full text

PDF
107

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. BALL E. G., JUNGAS R. L. On the action of hormones which accelerate the rate of oxygen consumption and fatty acid release in rat adipose tissue in vitro. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1961 Jul 15;47:932–941. doi: 10.1073/pnas.47.7.932. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. CARLSON L. A., WADSTROM L. B. Determination of glycerides in blood serum. Clin Chim Acta. 1959 Mar;4(2):197–205. doi: 10.1016/0009-8981(59)90130-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. DAWKINS M. J., HULL D. BROWN ADIPOSE TISSUE AND THE RESPONSE OF NEW-BORN RABBITS TO COLD. J Physiol. 1964 Aug;172:216–238. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1964.sp007414. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Dixon M., Keilin D. An improved method for the measurement of tissue respiration. Biochem J. 1933;27(1):86–95. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. FOLCH J., LEES M., SLOANE STANLEY G. H. A simple method for the isolation and purification of total lipides from animal tissues. J Biol Chem. 1957 May;226(1):497–509. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Fain J. N., Reed N., Saperstein R. The isolation and metabolism of brown fat cells. J Biol Chem. 1967 Apr 25;242(8):1887–1894. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. GARLAND P. B., RANDLE P. J. A rapid enzymatic assay for glycerol. Nature. 1962 Dec 8;196:987–988. doi: 10.1038/196987a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Hull D., Segall M. M. Sympathetic nervous control of brown adipose tissue and heat production in the new-born rabbit. J Physiol. 1965 Dec;181(3):458–467. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1965.sp007774. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Hull D. The structure and function of brown adipose tissue. Br Med Bull. 1966 Jan;22(1):92–96. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.bmb.a070447. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. MCILWAIN H., BUDDLE H. L. Techniques in tissue metabolism. I. A mechanical chopper. Biochem J. 1953 Feb;53(3):412–420. doi: 10.1042/bj0530412. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. MOSINGER F. PHOTOMETRIC ADAPTATION OF DOLE'S MICRODETERMINATION OF FREE FATTY ACIDS. J Lipid Res. 1965 Jan;6:157–159. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. STEINER G., CAHILL G. F., Jr BROWN AND WHITE ADIPOSE TISSUE METABOLISM IN COLD-EXPOSED RATS. Am J Physiol. 1964 Oct;207:840–844. doi: 10.1152/ajplegacy.1964.207.4.840. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Shackney S. E., Joel C. D. Stimulation of glucose metabolism in brown adipose tissue by addition of insulin in vitro. J Biol Chem. 1966 Sep 10;241(17):4004–4010. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Skipski V. P., Smolowe A. F., Sullivan R. C., Barclay M. Separation of lipid classes by thin-layer chromatography. Biochim Biophys Acta. 1965 Oct 4;106(2):386–396. doi: 10.1016/0005-2760(65)90047-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Smith S., Easter D. J., Dils R. Fatty acid biosynthesis. 3. Intracellular site of enzymes in lactating-rabbit mammary gland. Biochim Biophys Acta. 1966 Dec 7;125(3):445–455. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Steiner G., Cahill G. F., Jr Brown and white adipose tissue metabolism response to norepinephrine and insulin. Am J Physiol. 1966 Dec;211(6):1325–1328. doi: 10.1152/ajplegacy.1966.211.6.1325. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Steiner G., Schönbaum E., Johnson G. E., Sellers E. A. Lipid metabolism: effects of immunosympathectomy and acclimation to cold. Can J Physiol Pharmacol. 1968 May;46(3):453–461. doi: 10.1139/y68-068. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Biochemical Journal are provided here courtesy of The Biochemical Society

RESOURCES