Functional disconnection of brown adipose tissue in hypothalamic obesity in rats.
The metabolic responses to electrical nerve stimulation, norepinephrine or octanoate additions were studied using continuous monitoring of NAD(P)H/NADP redox state by reflexion spectrophotometry of interscapular brown adipose tissues from control and ventromedial hypothalamic (VMH) lesioned rats. The responses to these stimuli were all greatly decreased already 3 days after VMH lesions, indicating a reduced cell capacity to oxidize free fatty acids. Measurements of interscapular brown adipose tissue composition 4-5 weeks after VMH lesions showed a decrease of both DNA concentration and total content, indicating some tissue involution. It is concluded that the involvement of the ventromedial hypothalamus in the activation of brown adipose tissue provided a possible anatomical clue concerning pathways connecting thermal and weight regulations.
D002001:Adipose Tissue, Brown / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D002210:Caprylates / Q000494:pharmacology; D004247:DNA / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D007031:Hypothalamus / Q000502:physiology*; D009243:NAD / Q000378:metabolism; D009249:NADP / Q000378:metabolism; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000494:pharmacology; D009765:Obesity / Q000378:metabolism*; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D051381:Rats; D013564:Sympathetic Nervous System / Q000502:physiology
D002210:Caprylates; D009243:NAD; D009249:NADP; D004247:DNA; D009638:Norepinephrine