Lipogenesis in genetically diabetic (db/db) mice: developmental changes in brown adipose tissue, white adipose tissue and the liver.

Developmental changes in lipogenesis have been examined in interscapular brown adipose tissue (BAT), epididymal white adipose tissue and the liver of genetically diabetic (db/db) mice and their normal siblings. Lipogenesis was measured in vivo with 3H2O, from weaning (21 days of age) until 20 weeks of age. Hyperinsulinaemia was evident in db/db mice at all ages. Low rates of lipogenesis were observed at weaning in tissues of both groups of mice, but the rate rose rapidly in the first few days post-weaning. In normal mice, peak lipogenesis was obtained in each tissue at 4-5 weeks of age, and there were no major changes (on a whole-tissue basis) thereafter. A different developmental pattern was apparent in db/db mice. The rate of lipogenesis in BAT rose sharply after weaning, reaching a peak at 26 days of age (several times higher than normal mice), and then falling rapidly such that by 45 days of age it was lower than in normal mice; at age 20 weeks lipogenesis in BAT of the diabetic animals was negligible. In white adipose tissue of the db/db mutants lipogenesis (per tissue) reached a maximum at 5 weeks of age, and fell substantially between 10 and 20 weeks of age. Hepatic lipogenesis in the db/db mice rose progressively from weaning until 8 weeks of age, and then decreased. Except at weaning, hepatic lipogenesis (per tissue) was much greater in db/db mice than in normal mice, and the liver was a more important site of lipogenesis in diabetic mice than in normals, accounting for up to 60% of the whole-body total. In contrast, BAT accounted for a considerably smaller proportion of whole-body lipogenesis in db/db mice than in normal mice. It is concluded that there are major developmental differences in lipogenesis between tissues of db/db mice, and between diabetic and normal animals. The data suggest that there is an early and preferential development of insulin resistance in BAT of the db/db mutant.