Iwami Momoe, Alkayed Feras, Shiina Takahiko, Taira Keisuke, Shimizu Yasutake
Laboratory of Physiology, Department of Basic Veterinary Science, The United Graduate School of Veterinary Sciences, Gifu University, Yanagido 1-1, Gifu 501-1193, Japan.
Biomed Res. 2013 Aug;34(4):173-8. doi: 10.2220/biomedres.34.173.
Brown adipose tissue (BAT) is a heat-producing organ that plays an important role in maintenance of energy homeostasis. The purpose of this study was to test a novel method for stimulating BAT thermogenesis in rats. Application of electrical field stimulation to the dorsal surface of interscapular BAT caused a substantial rise in tissue temperature without affecting rectal temperature. The electrical stimulation failed to raise BAT temperature on the 2nd day after surgical sympathetic denervation. This is unlikely to be due to loss of thermogenic capacity, since neither UCP1 contents nor norepinephrine-induced thermogenesis were diminished 2 days after the denervation. A pharmacological experiment revealed that the BAT thermogenesis induced after electrical stimulation is mediated through β-adrenoceptors. The present study demonstrates that electrical stimulation applied to the dorsal surface of BAT is able to activate thermogenesis of BAT through mediation of norepinephrine released from sympathetic nerves. Our findings may provide a basis for developing a novel therapeutic procedure for obesity and related disorders.
棕色脂肪组织（BAT）是一种产热器官，在维持能量平衡中起重要作用。本研究的目的是测试一种刺激大鼠BAT产热的新方法。对肩胛间BAT的背表面施加电场刺激会导致组织温度大幅升高，而不影响直肠温度。在手术去交感神经后的第2天，电刺激未能提高BAT温度。这不太可能是由于产热能力丧失，因为去神经后2天，UCP1含量和去甲肾上腺素诱导的产热均未降低。一项药理学实验表明，电刺激后诱导的BAT产热是通过β-肾上腺素能受体介导的。本研究表明，对BAT背表面施加电刺激能够通过交感神经释放的去甲肾上腺素介导来激活BAT的产热。我们的发现可能为开发一种治疗肥胖及相关疾病的新疗法提供基础。
