ADRENOCEPTOR SUBTYPES MEDIATING CATECHOLAMINE-INDUCED THERMOGENESIS IN MAN

The sympathetic nervous system plays an important role in energy metab olism. This review deals with the type of adrenoceptors involved in ca techolamine-induced thermogenesis. In healthy lean males, both beta(1) - and beta(2)-adrenoceptors are involved in sympathetically-mediated t hermogenesis, whereas alpha-adrenoceptors probably do not play an impo rtant role. Although there seem to be no firm data to support the invo lvement of beta(3)-adrenoceptors in human energy metabolism, conclusiv e evidence to exclude a significant role of beta(3)-adrenoceptors in m an is also lacking. In normal weight man, skeletal muscle is an import ant site of localization for sympathetically-mediated thermogenesis, b ut a contribution of other tissues, such as adipose tissue, cannot be excluded.