EFFECT OF SUCROSE-INDUCED OVERFEEDING ON BROWN ADIPOSE-TISSUE - WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO IN-VITRO THERMOGENESIS AND FATTY-ACIDS COMPOSITIONS

Effect of overfeeding induced by sucrose solution (32%) was investigat ed on in vitro oxygen consumption and fatty acids (FA) compositions of interscapular brown adipose tissue (BAT) in rat. Sucrose group (S) wa s fed standard diet with sucrose solution as drinking water. Food inta ke was greater by 10-24% in S as compared with that in standard diet c ontrol group (C). Colonic and skin temperatures were higher in S. The weight and DNA content of BAT were greater in S. In vitro basal and no radrenaline- or glucagon-stimulated oxygen consumption did not differ between the groups when expressed per DNA, while they were significant ly greater in S in terms of whole tissue pad. In S BAT triglyceride (T G) and phospholipid (PL) levels as well as tissue contents were higher . In TG-FA of S saturated FA and monounsaturated FA were higher, while polyunsaturated FA were lower. In PL-FA of S monounsaturated FA were higher, while saturated FA and polyunsaturated FA were lower. These fi ndings imply that sucrose-induced overfeeding increases BAT thermogene sis through tissue hyperplasia and higher PL-FA unsaturation as indica ted by higher proportions of monounsaturates.