title: Rat brown adipose tissue thermogenic features are altered during mid-pregnancy.
abstract: Brown adipose tissue (BAT) thermogenesis is inhibited during late-pregnancy and lactation in the rat. However, scarce information concerning BAT functionality during mid-pregnancy is available. The aim of this work was to investigate uncoupling proteins and leptin expression during placentation in rat BAT as well as other key parameters in the thermogenic function of the tissue. BAT mitochondrial content was found to be reduced 50% in 11 and 13 day pregnant rats as compared to nonpregnant controls, although uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) content was not modified. Furthermore, UCP3 mRNA levels were found to be highly increased during this period. beta3-adrenergic receptor (beta3-AR) decreased expression resulted in a higher alpha2/beta3 ratio. Finally, leptin mRNA levels in BAT were found to be 3-fold up-regulated in pregnant animals. In conclusion, we show the existence of profound changes in thermogenic features in BAT during gestational days 11 and 13, pointing to the importance of this tissue during mid-pregnancy.
authors.affiliation: Grup de Metabolisme Energètic i Nutrició, Departament de Biologia Fonamental i Ciències de la Salut, Institut Universitari d'Investigació en Ciències de la Salut (IUNICS), Universitat de les Illes Balears, Palma de Mallorca, Spain.
authors.forename: Margalida
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Frontera
authors.forename: Esperanza
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pujol
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rodríguez-Cuenca
authors.forename: Antoni
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Català-Niell
authors.forename: Pilar
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Roca
authors.forename: Francisco J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: García-Palmer
authors.forename: Magdalena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gianotti
mesh_terms: D002001:Adipose Tissue, Brown / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D007473:Ion Channels; D020738:Leptin / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000378:metabolism; D024101:Mitochondrial Proteins; D010929:Placentation / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D011247:Pregnancy / Q000378:metabolism*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D022702:Receptors, Adrenergic, beta-3 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D022722:Thermogenesis / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D000071256:Uncoupling Protein 1; D000071247:Uncoupling Protein 3
chemical_list: D002352:Carrier Proteins; D007473:Ion Channels; D020738:Leptin; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D024101:Mitochondrial Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D022702:Receptors, Adrenergic, beta-3; C000604373:Ucp1 protein, rat; C000604394:Ucp3 protein, rat; D000071256:Uncoupling Protein 1; D000071247:Uncoupling Protein 3