Rat peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors and brown adipose tissue function during cold acclimatization

Hebe M. Guardiola-Diaz, Stefan Rehnmark, Nobuteru Usuda, Tatjana Albrektsen, Dorothee Feltkamp, Jan Åke Gustafsson, Stefan E.H. Alexson

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

56 Scopus citations

Abstract

Brown adipose tissue (BAT) hyperplasia is a fundamental physiological response to cold; it involves an acute phase of mitotic cell growth followed by a prolonged differentiation phase. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) are key regulators of fatty acid metabolism and adipocyte differentiation and may therefore mediate important metabolic changes during non-shivering thermogenesis. In the present study we have investigated PPAR mRNA expression in relation to peroxisome proliferation in rat BAT during cold acclimatization. By immunoelectron microscopy we show that the number of peroxisomes per cytoplasmic volume and acyl-CoA oxidase immunolabeling density remained constant (thus increasing in parallel with tissue mass and cell number) during the initial proliferative phase and the acute thermogenic response but increased after 14 days of cold exposure, correlating with terminal differentiation of BAT. A pronounced decrease in BAT PPARα and PPARγ, mRNA levels was found within hours of exposure to cold, which was reversed after 14 days, suggesting a role for either or both of these subtypes in the proliferation and induction of peroxisomes and peroxisomal β-oxidation enzymes. In contrast, PPARδ mRNA levels increased progressively during cold exposure. Transactivation assays in HIB 1B and HEK-293 cells demonstrated an adrenergic stimulation of peroxisome proliferator response element reporter activity via PPAR, establishing a role for these nuclear receptors in hormonal regulation of gene transcription in BAT.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)23368-23377
Number of pages10
JournalJournal of Biological Chemistry
Volume274
Issue number33
DOIs
StatePublished - Aug 13 1999

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Biochemistry
  • Molecular Biology
  • Cell Biology

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Rat peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors and brown adipose tissue function during cold acclimatization'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this