Norepinephrine stimulates activity of brown adipose tissue in rhesus monkeys.

Brown adipose tissue biopsies were obtained from the axillary region of adult rhesus monkeys before and after a 30-min infusion of norepinephrine or vehicle. Binding of guanosine diphosphate (GDP) to brown adipose tissue mitochondria increased an average of 186 percent in response to norepinephrine, while vehicle infusion resulted in an average decrease of 35 percent. The results are consistent with unmasking and remasking of GDP binding sites and indicative of functional brown adipose tissue in adult primates.