Corticotropin and nonshivering thermogenesis.

Chronic treatment with corticotropin led to reduced calorigenic effect of norepinephrine in cold acclimatized rats, but potentiated its effect in controls. This inhibitory effect was not due to the observed decrease in corticosterone plasma level, as it was shown by metopirone administration. It is concluded that corticotropin could have a competitive action on receptor sites mediating the calorigenic effect of norepinephrine in nonshivering thermogenesis.