In the rat, tumor necrosis factor alpha administration results in an increase in both UCP2 and UCP3 mRNAs in skeletal muscle: a possible mechanism for cytokine-induced thermogenesis?

Since the discovery of the nem members of the UCP (uncoupling protein) fami ly, UCP2 and UCP3, very few studies have dealt with the regulation of their expression. Bearing this in mind, administration of a single intravenous i njection of TNF-alpha (100 mu g/kg body weight) to rats resulted in a signi ficant increase in UCP2 (242%) and UCP3 (113%) gene expression in skeletal muscle, The results suggest a possible role for UCP2 and UCP3 in the increa se of energy expenditure associated with cytokine treatment, (C) 1998 Feder ation of European Biochemical Societies.