QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Purchase Article View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Nedergaard, J. Articles by Cannon, B. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Nedergaard, J. Articles by Cannon, B.

Effects of Dietary Essential Fatty Acids on Active Thermogenin Content in Rat Brown Adipose Tissue¹

The Wenner-Gren Institute, University of Stockholm, Norrtullsgatan 16, S-113 45 Stockholm, Sweden and ^* National Food Administration, Box 622, S-751 26 Uppsala, Sweden

Rats were fed diets providing either 0.3% (low EFA), 3% (control) or 10% (high EFA) of the energy as essential fatty acids. (All diets provided 20 energy percent of fat.) Both the experimental groups had a lower body weight than the controls. Small differences were found between the groups in many traditional parameters of brown adipose tissue activity (wet weight, protein content, mitochondrial content, cytochrome c oxidase activity). A specific increase in the mitochondrial concentration of the 32,000-dalton GDP-binding protein thermogenin was observed in the high EFA group (from 0.30 to 0.45 nmol/mg). When the thermogenin content of the animal was expressed per gram body weight, the content was more than doubled (from 22 to 47 pmol/g body weight) in the high EFA group, but was unaltered in the low EFA group. It is concluded that the effect of low EFA is nonspecific and due to a general decrease in health status. The effects of high EFA are, however, specific and resemble the changes observed in animals exhibiting diet-induced thermogenesis. It is suggested that the animals fed high amounts of essential fatty acids are in a state of decreased metabolic efficiency and this may be at least in part an explanation for their low body weight.

KEY WORDS: • essential fatty acids • brown adipose tissue • diet-induced thermogenesis • thermogenin • rat

¹ Supported in part by a grant from the Swedish Natural Science Research Council.

Manuscript received 3 January 1983.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				J. M. Dafoe, R. W. Kott, B. F. Sowell, J. G. Berardinelli, K. C. Davis, and P. G. Hatfield Effects of supplemental safflower and vitamin E during late gestation on lamb growth, serum metabolites, and thermogenesis J Anim Sci, November 1, 2008; 86(11): 3194 - 3202. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. Ocloo, I. G. Shabalina, J. Nedergaard, and M. D. Brand Cold-induced alterations of phospholipid fatty acyl composition in brown adipose tissue mitochondria are independent of uncoupling protein-1 Am J Physiol Regulatory Integrative Comp Physiol, September 1, 2007; 293(3): R1086 - R1093. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. Y. Chen, G. E. Carstens, C. D. Gilbert, C. M. Theis, S. L. Archibeque, M. W. Kurz, L. J. Slay, and S. B. Smith Dietary Supplementation of High Levels of Saturated and Monounsaturated Fatty Acids to Ewes during Late Gestation Reduces Thermogenesis in Newborn Lambs by Depressing Fatty Acid Oxidation in Perirenal Brown Adipose Tissue J. Nutr., January 1, 2007; 137(1): 43 - 48. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				B. CANNON and J. NEDERGAARD Brown Adipose Tissue: Function and Physiological Significance Physiol Rev, January 1, 2004; 84(1): 277 - 359. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]