Endocrinology, Vol 110, 439-443, Copyright © 1982 by Endocrine Society

ARTICLES

Alterations of brown adipose tissue in genetically obese (ob/ob) mice. II. Studies of beta-adrenergic receptors and fatty acid degradation

F Assimacopoulos-Jeannet, JP Giacobino, J Seydoux, L Girardier and B Jeanrenaud

beta-Receptor number, norepinephrine-stimulated adenylate cyclase activity and lipolysis, octanoate-induced NAD(P) redox changes, and heat production were studied in brown adipose tissue (BAT) of lean and obese (ob/ob) mice. beta-Receptor number was increased 1.54-fold in purified brown adipocyte plasma membrane of ob/ob mice compared to that in lean controls. This increase was reversed by cold adaptation (5 C). Basal and norepinephrine-stimulated adenylate cyclase values were not different in the two groups. Norepinephrine stimulated lipolysis at 10 nM in BAT of lean mice, but only at 10 microM in BAT ob/ob mice. Octanoate produced an increase in the NAD(P) redox state in BAT of lean mice, but it did not modify the NAD(P) redox state in BAT of ob/ob mice. Concomitantly, octanoate increased heat production 3-fold in BAT of lean mice, but did not promote any significant increase in heat production in BAT of ob/ob mice. These two parameters were restored toward values observed in lean mice when the ob/ob mice were adapted to a cold environment. The data indicate that BAT of ob/ob mice exhibits three alterations; one at the level of the beta-receptor, one at the level of the lipolytic response to norepinephrine, and one at the level of fatty acid activation and/or beta-oxidation.