Regulation of body temperature and brown adipose tissue thermogenesis by bombesin receptor subtype-3

• Bombesin receptor subtype-3 (BRS-3) regulates energy homeostasis, with Brs3 knockout (Brs3(-/y)) mice being hypometabolic, hypothermic, and hyperphagic and developing obesity. We now report that the reduced body temperature is more readily detected if body temperature is analyzed as a function of physical activity level and light/dark phase. Physical activity level correlated best with body temperature 4 min later. The Brs3(-/y) metabolic phenotype is not due to intrinsically impaired brown adipose tissue function or in the communication of sympathetic signals from the brain to brown adipose tissue, since Brs3(-/y) mice have intact thermogenic responses to stress, acute cold exposure, and beta 3-adrenergic activation, and Brs3(-/y) mice prefer a cooler environment. Treatment with the BRS-3 agonist MK-5046 increased brown adipose tissue temperature and body temperature in wild-type but not Brs3(-/y) mice. Intrahypothalamic infusion of MK5046 increased body temperature. These data indicate that the BRS-3 regulation of body temperature is via a central mechanism, upstream of sympathetic efferents. The reduced body temperature in Brs3(-/y) mice is due to altered regulation of energy homeostasis affecting higher center regulation of body temperature, rather than an intrinsic defect in brown adipose tissue.

Subject headings

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Biologi (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Biological Sciences (hsv//eng)

Keyword

bombesin receptor subtype-3

obesity

sympathetic nervous system

brown adipose tissue

thermoregulation

CL316243

MK-5046

fysiologi

Physiology

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)