scholarly journals STUDIES OF THE MITOCHONDRIAL ENERGY-TRANSFER SYSTEM OF BROWN ADIPOSE TISSUE

1967 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
pp. 293-310 ◽  
Author(s):  
O. Lindberg ◽  
J. De Pierre ◽  
E. Rylander ◽  
B. A. Afzelius

An investigation of the mechanisms of norepinephrine action and heat production in brown adipose tissue from newborn rabbits has been carried out. Data obtained with the use of biochemical techniques has been correlated with morphological data from electron microscopy. Norepinephrine was found to stimulate the respiration of brown fat in vitro. Inhibitors of glycolysis abolish this effect, whereas inhibitors of oxidative phosphorylation do not, at least not to the same extent. Brown fat is readily permeable to added Krebs cycle intermediates. Substrate level phosphorylation, but no electron transport-coupled phosphorylation, could be demonstrated in isolated mitochondria. It is suggested that the rate of fatty acid oxidation is limited by the availability of phosphate acceptor systems which break down ATP formed at the substrate level and thus provide ADP for further substrate level phosphorylation. The theory of respiratory control by the action of reesterification of fatty acids is discussed in the light of these findings. Under the electron microscope, brown fat mitochondria are characterized by their large size, tightly packed cristae, and by the different types of granules in the matrix. No elementary particles are seen when the mitochondria are examined by the negative-staining technique. The absence of electron transport-coupled phosphorylation together with the apparent absence of elementary particles seems to be of particular significance.

iScience ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 102434
Author(s):  
Winifred W. Yau ◽  
Kiraely Adam Wong ◽  
Jin Zhou ◽  
Nivetha Kanakaram Thimmukonda ◽  
Yajun Wu ◽  
...  

2019 ◽  
Vol 317 (5) ◽  
pp. E742-E750 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tania Quesada-López ◽  
Aleix Gavaldà-Navarro ◽  
Samantha Morón-Ros ◽  
Laura Campderrós ◽  
Roser Iglesias ◽  
...  

Adaptive induction of thermogenesis in brown adipose tissue (BAT) is essential for the survival of mammals after birth. We show here that G protein-coupled receptor protein 120 (GPR120) expression is dramatically induced after birth in mouse BAT. GPR120 expression in neonatal BAT is the highest among GPR120-expressing tissues in the mouse at any developmental stage tested. The induction of GPR120 in neonatal BAT is caused by postnatal thermal stress rather than by the initiation of suckling. GPR120-null neonates were found to be relatively intolerant to cold: close to one-third did not survive at 21°C, but all such pups survived at 25°C. Heat production in BAT was significantly impaired in GPR120-null pups. Deficiency in GPR120 did not modify brown adipocyte morphology or the anatomical architecture of BAT, as assessed by electron microscopy, but instead impaired the expression of uncoupling protein-1 and the fatty acid oxidation capacity of neonatal BAT. Moreover, GPR120 deficiency impaired fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) gene expression in BAT and reduced plasma FGF21 levels. These results indicate that GPR120 is essential for neonatal adaptive thermogenesis.


1988 ◽  
Vol 8 (5) ◽  
pp. 465-469 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gérard Mory ◽  
Myriam Gawer ◽  
Jean-Claude Kader

Chronic cold exposure of rats (9 days at 5°C) induces an alteration of the fatty acid composition of phospholipids in brown adipose tissue. The alteration is due to an increase of the unsaturation degree of these lipids. The phenomenon can be reproduced by 10−7 mole. h−1 administration of noradrenaline for 9 days in rats kept at 25°C. Thus, phospholipid alteration in brown fat of cold exposed rats is most probably a consequence of the increase of sympathetic tone which occurs in this tissue during exposure to cold.


1984 ◽  
Vol 4 (11) ◽  
pp. 933-940 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stewart W. Mercer ◽  
Paul Trayhurn

Genetically obese (ob/ob) mice develop insulin resistance in brown adipose tissue during the fifth week of life. Prior to this, at 26 days of age, oh/oh mice show a substantial increase in GDP binding to brownadipose-tissue mitochondria during acute cold exposure. When insulin resistance in brown fat develops, by 35 days of age, the increase in GDP binding in response to cold is markedly reduced. Studies with 2-deoxyglucose suggest that insulin resistance in brown adipose tissue could impair thermogenic responsiveness during acute cold exposure by limiting the ability of the tissue to take up glucose.


1971 ◽  
Vol 19 (11) ◽  
pp. 670-675 ◽  
Author(s):  
IRÉNE AHLABO ◽  
TUDOR BARNARD

During cytochemical studies of brown adipose tissue from rat, cytoplasmic organelles that apparently show peroxidative activity have been observed. The majority of the organelles have a diameter of 0.1-0.8 µ and a finely granular homogeneous matrix and are delimited by a single unit membrane. No sign of a "crystalloid" was seen. In order to demonstrate the peroxidative activity of the peroxisomal enzyme catalase in the organelles, brown adipose tissue was incubated in a medium containing 3,3'-diaminobenzidine tetrahydrochloride, after prefixation in 3% glutaraldehyde. The activity was blocked by 3-amino-l,2,4-triazole (an inhibitor of catalase) but not by KCN. Omission of exogenous hydrogen peroxide did not inhibit the reaction in the organelles. It is concluded that rat brown adipose tissue contains peroxisomes and, since the abundance of these organelles varies according to the physiologic activity of the tissue, peroxisomes may have a role in the thermogenic metabolism of brown fat.


1987 ◽  
Vol 252 (2) ◽  
pp. R402-R408 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Yoshida ◽  
J. S. Fisler ◽  
M. Fukushima ◽  
G. A. Bray ◽  
R. A. Schemmel

The effects of dietary fat content, lighting cycle, and feeding time on norepinephrine turnover in interscapular brown adipose tissue, heart, and pancreas, and on blood 3-hydroxybutyrate, serum glucose, insulin, and corticosterone have been studied in two strains of rats that differ in their susceptibility to dietary obesity. S 5B/Pl rats, which are resistant to dietary obesity, have a more rapid turnover of norepinephrine in interscapular brown adipose tissue and heart and a greater increase in the concentration of norepinephrine in brown fat when eating a high-fat diet than do Osborne-Mendel rats, which are sensitive to fat-induced obesity. Light cycle and feeding schedule are important modulators of sympathetic activity in heart and pancreas but not in brown fat. Rats of the resistant strain also have higher blood 3-hydroxybutyrate concentrations and lower insulin and corticosterone levels than do rats of the susceptible strain. A high-fat diet increases 3-hydroxybutyrate concentrations and reduces insulin levels in both strains. These studies show, in rats eating a high-fat diet, that differences in norepinephrine turnover, particularly in brown adipose tissue, may play an important role in whether dietary obesity develops and in the manifestations of resistance to this phenomenon observed in the S 5B/Pl rat.


1985 ◽  
Vol 248 (2) ◽  
pp. E230-E235
Author(s):  
R. J. Schimmel ◽  
L. McCarthy

Hamsters consuming a “cafeteria diet” had more brown adipose tissue than did chow-fed hamsters. The growth of the brown fat depots in cafeteria-fed hamsters was accompanied by increases in tissue protein and cytochrome oxidase. To assess the thermogenic capacity of brown fat mitochondria, the binding of GDP to isolated mitochondria was measured. Mitochondrial GDP binding was not affected by feeding the cafeteria diet for 4 wk, but more prolonged cafeteria feeding for 8 wk did, however, increase the binding of GDP to isolated mitochondria. The morphology of brown adipose tissue was altered during cafeteria feeding. The brown adipose tissue of cafeteria-fed hamsters had more large unilocular cells than did the brown adipose tissue of chow-fed hamsters. In addition, the average adipocyte diameter was greater in brown adipose tissue of cafeteria-fed hamsters. These data support the presence of a dietary regulation of brown adipose tissue growth in hamsters. The growth of brown adipose tissue in hamsters eating the cafeteria diet appears to result largely from proliferation of adipocytes, as evidenced by the increases in tissue protein and cytochrome oxidase during cafeteria feeding, but some hypertrophy of the adipocytes also occurs. A dietary regulation of brown fat thermogenic capacity is also apparent but this regulation is evident only after more prolonged periods of cafeteria feeding. Hamsters eating a cafeteria diet increase their caloric intake but have the same or greater body weight gain efficiency as do chow-fed animals. The absence of dietary stimulation of thermogenesis may underlie the similar efficiencies of weight gain in chow- and cafeteria-fed hamsters.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document