The maximum capacity of glycolysis in brown adipose tissue and its relationship to control of the blood glucose concentration.

The maximum activity of the key glycolytic enzymes, hexokinase and 6-phosphofructokinase, was measured in tissues of control and cold-acclimated rats. The only significant change in activity was seen in brown adipose tissue where the activity of these enzymes was increased 2-fold. This increase in glycolytic capacity along with the hypertrophy of BAT observed in cold acclimation suggests that this tissue could play an important role in glucose utilisation by the rat.