Changes in mitochondrial components of hamster brown adipose tissue in response to cold acclimation

Cold acclimation of hamsters was found to result in an increase in cytochrome concentration relative to ATPase activity in brown adipose tissue mitochondria, but not in liver mitochondria. These data lend support to the hypothesis that the uncoupled respiration characteristic of non-shivering thermogenesis is the result of an adaptive change in the composition of brown adipose tissue mitochondria in response to cold acclimation.