The role of the liver in non-shivering thermogenesis in the rat.

1. The temperatures of the liver and afferent aortic and portal blood were measured in 20 degrees C acclimated rats at different environmental temperatures (T(a)) between 20 and 37 degrees C. The heated-thermocouple technique was used to measure the metabolic heat production of the liver, its blood flow, and to correct the temperature difference between it and the reference junction for blood flow.2. The temperature of the liver was higher than that of the afferent blood. On raising T(a) from 20 to 30 degrees C the liver temperature fell and the temperature difference between the liver and the aortic blood was reduced despite the decrease in the thermal gradient between the liver and the exterior and a small reduction in hepatic blood flow. A further rise in T(a) to 37 degrees C led to an increase in the liver and blood temperatures. The same pattern was seen when the temperature differences were corrected for blood flow.3. Metabolic heat production in the liver decreased when T(a) was raised from 20 to 30 degrees C.4. In a 20 degrees C environment inhibition of non-shivering thermogenesis with propranolol HCl (10 mg/kg body wt. I.V.) led to a fall in the temperature of the liver and its metabolic heat production towards levels found in untreated rats at T(a) = 30 degrees C. Consequently, in treated rats the change in metabolic heat production on raising T(a) to 30 degrees C was less than in untreated ones.5. These results are interpreted as evidence for the participation of the liver in thermoregulatory non-shivering thermogenesis.