Influence of brown adipose tissue on deep cervical temperature during sleep in the young rabbit

In young rabbits the slope of the temperature in the deep cervical region close to brown adipose tissue increased during desynchronized sleep at low ambient temperature. No increase occurred at neutral ambient temperature. In control rabbits (after disappearance of brown adipose tissue), the slope of deep cervical temperature did not increase during desynchronized sleep at low or neutral ambient temperatures.     

Brown adipose tissue activity in hypophysectomized rats: involvement of sympathetic system

Summary At thermal neutrality, hypophysectomy enhanced interscapular brown adipose tissue (IBAT) activity (increase of purine nucleotide binding) in the rat. This stimulation is dependent on sympathetic system integrity since surgical denervation of IBAT imparis its thermogenic response.     

Opposite actions of testosterone and progesterone on UCP1 mRNA expression in cultured brown adipocytes

The brown adipose tissue (BAT) thermogenic response to diet-induced obesity and cold has been found to be gender dependent. In the present work, we aimed to investigate the effects of the main physiological male and female sex hormones, i.e. testosterone, progesterone and 17-β-estradiol, on the expression of uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) – the main mediator of BAT thermogenesis – and on UCP2 and lipid accumulation in rodent brown adipocytes differentiated in culture. Testosterone-treated cells showed fewer and smaller lipid droplets than control cells and a dose-dependent inhibition of UCP1 mRNA expression, under adrenergic stimulation by norepinephrine (NE). These effects were reverted by the androgen receptor antagonist flutamide, suggesting they are dependent, at least in part, on the androgen receptor. Progesterone- and 17-β-estradiol-treated cells showed more and larger lipid droplets and progesterone stimulated NE-induced UCP1 mRNA expression at the lower concentration tested, but not at higher concentrations, suggesting that for brown adipocytes, this hormone is dose dependent. 17-β-Estradiol did not have any remarkable effect either on UCP1 or UCP2 mRNA expression. Interestingly, the specific progesterone receptor antagonist RU486 induced UCP1 and UCP2 mRNAs, including UCP1 mRNA expression in non-NE-treated brown adipocytes, suggesting a profound effect of this anti-progestagen on brown adipocyte thermogenic capacity. Thus, are conclude that testosterone, 17-β-estradiol, progesterone and RU486 have distinct actions on brown adipocytes, thus modulating UCP1 and UCP2 mRNA expression and/or lipid accumulation, and that sex hormones are factors that may explain in part the gender-dependent BAT thermogenic response. Received 24 June 2002; received after revision 20 August 2002; accepted 26 August 2002 RID="*" ID="*"Corresponding author.     

Thermogenic effects of thyrotrophin-releasing hormone and its analogues in the rat

Summary Acute or chronic injection of RX 77368 (a TRH analogue; 1 mg/kg s.c.) stimulated oxygen consumption (VO₂) and brown adipose tissue activity in the rat, and decreased weight gain Other TRH analogues (CG 3509, RGH 2202) and TRH itself also stimulated VO₂. These thermogenic actions are probably mediated centrally by stimulation of sympathetic outflow to brown fat.     

The steroid hormone synthesis in the brown adipose tissue of mice

Zusammenfassung Braunes Fettgewebe adrenalektomierter und kastrierter weisser Mäuse synthetisiert in vitro 17-hydroxy-11-desoxycorticosteron in einer Menge 1,7–2,5µg/100 mg des Fettgewebes/h, wenn dem Inkubationsmedium Mäusehypophyse zugesetzt wird. Zugabe von ACTH bewirkt keine Stimulierung des braunen Fettgewebes.     

Influence of nocloprost on the vascular responses to various stimuli in the isolated perfused rabbit kidney

Summary Nocloprost, a new synthetic prostanoid, elicited a vasodilator action when given through the renal artery of the isolated perfused rabbit kidney. Lower concentrations of the compound inhibited the pressor response to sympathetic stimulation or to angiotensin II, but potentiated the pressor effect of exogenous noradrenaline. These results were taken as an evidence that nocloprost prevents the release of neurotransmitter by a presynaptic mechanism.This work was supported by a grant from the Turkish Scientific and Technical Research Council (TAG-578). Nocloprost is the gift of Dr E. Schillinger, Head of Biochemical Pharmacology, Schering AG Research Laboratories, Berlin, FRG.     

Selective effect of noradrenaline on superoxide dismutase activity in the brown adipose tissue and liver of the rat

Summary Noradrenaline treatment results in a significant increase of superoxide dismutase activity in the intrascapular brown adipose tissue but not in the liver.     

Diurnal change in stature: effects of sleep deprivation in young men and middle-aged men

Summary Sleep deprivation was associated with decreased stature and it blunted the normal 24-h rhythm in young and in middle-aged men. Loss in stature was regained during the first recovery night of sleep. The 24-h rhythm in height is not an endogenous circadian rhythm but depends upon the periods of recumbency over the sleep/wake cycle.Acknowledgments. The first author was a Medical Research Council scholar; the second was supported by the Scottish Hospital Endowments Research Trust.     

The effect of ATP and carnitine on the endogenous respiration of mitochondria from brown adipose tissue

Zusammenfassung Nachweis der endogenen Atmungsaktivierung von Mitochondrien im braunen Fettgewebe durch ATP und Karnitin. Eine maximale Aktivierung wird bei 6–30 Tage alten Ratten gefunden, während sie in neugeborenen und erwachsenen Tieren kleiner ist. Nur bei den 6–30 Tage alten Tieren hemmt Albumin die Durch ATP und Karnitin erhöhte Atmung.     

The postnatal development of hormone sensitive lipase in brown and white adipose tissue of the rat

Zusammenfassung Die Aktivität hormonsensitiver Lipasen im weissen und braunen Fettgewebe der Ratte steigt zwischen dem 10. und 18. Tag nach der Geburt. Corticosteronzufuhr verursacht bei 10tägigen Ratten einen Aktivitätsanstieg. Adrenalin und Noradrenalin haben im braunen Fettgewebe keinen Effekt.     

Ascorbic acid in brown adipose tissue: effect of cold acclimation and high intake of the vitamin

Summary The ascorbic acid content of brown adipose tissue increased 62% when rats underwent cold acclimation; however, the increase was 126% when rats living in the cold were fed a basal diet supplemented with 2% ascorbic acid. These findings suggest a role for ascorbic acid in this tissue during nonshivering thermogenesis.Bureau of Nutritional Sciences, publication No. 113.     

Differential expression of genes for uncoupling proteins 1, 2 and 3 in brown and white adipose tissue depots during rat development

The different expression patterns of genes for uncoupling proteins (UCPs) 1, 2 and 3 (ucp1, ucp2 and ucp3) were studied in interscapular brown adipose tissue (BAT) and in four white adipose tissue (WAT) depots (epididymal, inguinal, mesenteric and retroperitoneal) in male rats of different ages (18 days-12 months). UCP mRNA expression levels were determined by Northern blotting. In BAT, there were high levels of expression of UCP1 and UCP3 mRNA, but no detectable levels of UCP2 mRNA. Both ucp1 and ucp3 followed a similar expression pattern with age, with high levels in suckling rats which decreased to 50% or less in rats just under 2 months old, declining thereafter until 5 months and then recovering with age. However, an additional peak of expression was observed for ucp3 at the age of 3 months. In WAT, ucp1 expression was rare: occasional expression was found for UCP1 mRNA in the retroperitoneal depot in suckling rats and in the epididymal and inguinal depots in suckling and mature adult rats. ucp2 and ucp3 had different developmental expression patterns, but these were similar for each gene in the different depots studied. UCP3 mRNA was highly expressed in rats soon after birth, it decreased until 3 months, and increased thereafter, except for the mesenteric WAT where ucp3 expression decreased until 7 months before recovering. The fact that changes with age of both ucp1 and ucp3 expression have a similar profile in BAT, which is also similar to the ucp3 and also ucp1 profiles in some WAT depots, might reflect a common regulatory pattern for the expression of these genes, and also a common function. In contrast to ucp1 and ucp3, ucp2 had a peak of expression at about 2 months, and lower expression at 3 months, suggesting different regulation and probably a different role for this UCP.