1. 1. The involvement of two organs, i.e. the liver and the brown adipose tissue (BAT) in response to cold in a hibernating species such as the garden dormouse has been studied. 2. 2. In animlas living in the cold, mitochondrial respiratory rates significantly increased (with respect to those living at 28°C) in both organs with a larger increase in the BAT (+152%) in the BAT and 67% in the liver). 3. 3. The increase in BAT activity was obtained by a concomitant increase in: (a) the BAT mass (+30%), (b) the total mitochondrial mass (+20%), and (c) the mitochondrial respiratory rate (+64%). In the liver the increase was due only to an augmentation in mitochondrial mass and activity. 4. 4. These results indicate that: (a) the BAT exerts a pre-eminent role in the physiological response to cold of garden dormouse, (b) a certain non-shivering thermogenesis (NST) is present in the liver of such species. In addition we suggest that a local thermoregulatory response would take place in a metabolically important organ such as the liver. © 1990.
Liver and brown fat mitochondrial response to cold in the garden dormouse (Eliomys quercinus)
LANNI, Antonia;
1990
Abstract
1. 1. The involvement of two organs, i.e. the liver and the brown adipose tissue (BAT) in response to cold in a hibernating species such as the garden dormouse has been studied. 2. 2. In animlas living in the cold, mitochondrial respiratory rates significantly increased (with respect to those living at 28°C) in both organs with a larger increase in the BAT (+152%) in the BAT and 67% in the liver). 3. 3. The increase in BAT activity was obtained by a concomitant increase in: (a) the BAT mass (+30%), (b) the total mitochondrial mass (+20%), and (c) the mitochondrial respiratory rate (+64%). In the liver the increase was due only to an augmentation in mitochondrial mass and activity. 4. 4. These results indicate that: (a) the BAT exerts a pre-eminent role in the physiological response to cold of garden dormouse, (b) a certain non-shivering thermogenesis (NST) is present in the liver of such species. In addition we suggest that a local thermoregulatory response would take place in a metabolically important organ such as the liver. © 1990.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
