Stimulatory effect of cold adaptation on glucose utilization by brown adipose tissue. Relationship with changes in the glucose transporter system.

The effect of cold adaptation (4 degrees C) on the in vivo glucose utilization and on the number and properties of the glucose transporters has been studied in brown adipose tissue of normal rats. Glucose utilization was assessed in vivo by the 2-deoxyglucose method. Glucose transporters in plasma and microsomal membranes were quantified by the [3H]cytochalasin B-binding assay. After cold adaptation the in vivo glucose utilization by brown adipose tissue increased 21-fold compared to controls (22 degrees C). The number of glucose transporters in plasma membranes of brown adipose tissue increased from 75 to 436 pmol/g tissue and that of total glucose transporters (plasma + microsomal membranes) from 438 to 754 pmol/g tissue. In addition, cold adaptation increased the Hill coefficient of the plasma membrane transporter for cytochalasin B from 0.90 to 2.03 and decreased the Kd from 100 to 54 nM. This study shows that cold adaptation promotes: a translocation of glucose transporters from an intracellular pool to plasma membranes; an increased number of plasma membrane glucose transporters unaccounted for by the translocation process (e.g. "de novo" synthesis); an increase in the Hill coefficient for cytochalasin B that could also represent changes in the properties of the transporters vis-à-vis glucose, (e.g. positive cooperativity); and a decrease in the Kd value for cytochalasin B.