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Cellularity of adipose tissue in cold‐exposed rats and the calorigenic effect of norepinephrine
Author(s) -
Therriault Donald G.,
Mellin Donald B.
Publication year - 1971
Publication title -
lipids
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.601
H-Index - 120
eISSN - 1558-9307
pISSN - 0024-4201
DOI - 10.1007/bf02531234
Subject(s) - adipose tissue , hyperplasia , medicine , endocrinology , muscle hypertrophy , norepinephrine , brown adipose tissue , white adipose tissue , biology , chemistry , dopamine
Adipose tissue in rats maintained at normal ambient temperature grows by a mixture of hyperplasia and hypertrophy in the early growth stage of the rat. In the mature rat, the tissue grows primarily by hypertrophy. When the rat is acclimated to 5 C, growth of adipose tissue occurs primarily by hyperplasia throughout the body weight ranged studied. As a consequence adipose tissue from rats maintained in the cold has a much larger number of fat cells which are much smaller in size. In order to achieve the adaptation which permits hyperplasia to continue throughout the adult stage the animal must be exposed to cold at an early age, and it requires that the animal remain in the cold to continue. These changes in adipose tissue fat cell size and number are discussed in relation to the increased calorigenic and lipolytic effect of norepinephrine in cold‐acclimated rats.