Yoshimoto Kanji, Yasuhara Masahiro, Komura Setsuo, Misumi Yuki, Uchiyama Yuki, Kogure Akinori, Hioki Chizuko, Wakabayashi Yasuo, Satomi Yoshiko, Nishimura Akira, Fukuda Fumihiko, Hori Masafumi, Yokoyama Chihiro, Yoshida Toshihide
Department of Legal Medicine, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Japan.
Tohoku J Exp Med. 2004 Sep;204(1):45-51. doi: 10.1620/tjem.204.45.
Expression of uncoupling protein-1 (UCP1) is increased by cold acclimation and overfeeding, and reduced in fasting and genetic obesity. It is known that the mitochondrial UCP1 in the brown adipose tissue (BAT) is an important key molecule for non-shivering thermogenesis. On the other hand, ethanol (EtOH) alters thermoregulation in humans and laboratory animals. However, the relationship between EtOH intake and UCP1 expression is not yet clear. Accordingly, the present study employed the technique of real-time quantitative polymerase-chain reaction (PCR) to investigate the effects of EtOH (0.5 or 2.0 g/kg) on the expression of UCP1 mRNA in the mouse BAT. Control mice were injected with the same volume of physiological saline intraperitoneally (IP). IP injection of EtOH (0.5 g/kg) caused a decrease and an increase of the expression of BAT UCP1 mRNA at 1 and 4 hours, respectively. Treatment with EtOH (2.0 g/kg) caused an increases of the expression of BAT UCP1 mRNA at both 2 and 4 hours. BAT UCP1 mRNA levels in both groups increased at 4 hours after EtOH administration. The levels of UCP1 mRNA returned to the control levels by 8 hours after EtOH administration. The expression of BAT UCP1 mRNA was upregulated following EtOH administration, although a lower dose of EtOH initially reduced the expression of UCP1 mRNA in BAT. These findings suggest that EtOH-induced UCP1 mRNA expression in BAT reflects an alteration of the set point of thermogenesis.
解偶联蛋白-1（UCP1）的表达在冷适应和过度喂养时增加，而在禁食和遗传性肥胖时降低。已知棕色脂肪组织（BAT）中的线粒体UCP1是非寒战产热的重要关键分子。另一方面，乙醇（EtOH）会改变人类和实验动物的体温调节。然而，乙醇摄入与UCP1表达之间的关系尚不清楚。因此，本研究采用实时定量聚合酶链反应（PCR）技术，研究乙醇（0.5或2.0 g/kg）对小鼠BAT中UCP1 mRNA表达的影响。对照组小鼠腹腔内（IP）注射相同体积的生理盐水。IP注射乙醇（0.5 g/kg）分别在1小时和4小时导致BAT UCP1 mRNA表达降低和增加。用乙醇（2.0 g/kg）处理在2小时和4小时均导致BAT UCP1 mRNA表达增加。乙醇给药后4小时，两组的BAT UCP1 mRNA水平均升高。乙醇给药后8小时，UCP1 mRNA水平恢复到对照水平。尽管较低剂量的乙醇最初会降低BAT中UCP1 mRNA的表达，但乙醇给药后BAT UCP1 mRNA的表达会上调。这些发现表明，乙醇诱导的BAT中UCP1 mRNA表达反映了产热设定点的改变。
