Brown adipose tissue metabolism in ob/ob mice: effects of a high-fat diet and adrenalectomy.

Adrenalectomy prevents development of obesity in ob/ob mice fed high-carbohydrate stock diets partly by stimulating the low thermogenic capacity of their brown adipose tissue (BAT). Adrenalectomy, however, fails to prevent development of obesity in ob/ob mice fed a high-fat diet. Effects of adrenalectomy on BAT metabolism in ob/ob mice fed a high-fat diet were thus examined. ob/ob mice fed the high-fat diet developed gross obesity despite normal BAT metabolism, as assessed by rates of norepinephrine turnover in BAT, GDP binding to BAT mitochondria, and GDP-inhibitable, chloride-induced mitochondrial swelling. Adrenalectomy failed to arrest the development of obesity or to influence BAT metabolism in ob/ob mice fed the high-fat diet. Development of obesity in ob/ob mice fed a high-fat diet is not associated with low thermogenic capacity of BAT or with adrenal secretions, as it is in ob/ob mice fed high-carbohydrate stock diets.