Effect of cold stress and norepinephrine on the turnover of phospholipids in brown adipose tissue of the golden hamster (Mesocricetus auratus).

The brown adipose tissue of cold adapted hamsters has an approximately 35% higher phospholipid content than that of the controls. The basal turnover rate of phosphatidylinositol is higher in cold-adapted animals than in the controls, whereas 32P incorporation into phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine and diphosphatidylglycerol is not changed. Administration of norepinephrine increases the incorporation of 32P into both control and cold-adapted animals by 200% and 220% respectively. The 32P incorporation into other phospholipid fractions is not modified.