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. 1973 Jul;232(2):285–296. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1973.sp010270

The role of the liver in non-shivering thermogenesis in the rat

H B Stoner
PMCID: PMC1350455  PMID: 4727083

Abstract

1. The temperatures of the liver and afferent aortic and portal blood were measured in 20° C acclimated rats at different environmental temperatures (Ta) between 20 and 37° C. The heated-thermocouple technique was used to measure the metabolic heat production of the liver, its blood flow, and to correct the temperature difference between it and the reference junction for blood flow.

2. The temperature of the liver was higher than that of the afferent blood. On raising Ta from 20 to 30° C the liver temperature fell and the temperature difference between the liver and the aortic blood was reduced despite the decrease in the thermal gradient between the liver and the exterior and a small reduction in hepatic blood flow. A further rise in Ta to 37° C led to an increase in the liver and blood temperatures. The same pattern was seen when the temperature differences were corrected for blood flow.

3. Metabolic heat production in the liver decreased when Ta was raised from 20 to 30° C.

4. In a 20° C environment inhibition of non-shivering thermogenesis with propranolol HCl (10 mg/kg body wt. I.V.) led to a fall in the temperature of the liver and its metabolic heat production towards levels found in untreated rats at Ta = 30° C. Consequently, in treated rats the change in metabolic heat production on raising Ta to 30° C was less than in untreated ones.

5. These results are interpreted as evidence for the participation of the liver in thermoregulatory non-shivering thermogenesis.

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Selected References

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

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