Hormonal regulation of thermogenesis in goslings. Possible role of catecholamines
Poczopko, P.; Uliasz, M.
Acta Physiologica Polonica 26(2): 149-158
1975
ISSN/ISBN: 0044-6033 PMID: 1146560 Document Number: 92039
The energy-generating action of noradrenaline (NA) in mammals is thought to be on brown adipose tissue. Since birds do not have brown adipose tissue the question arises of what promotes thermogenesis on exposure to cold. The tests described were on 177 male goslings aged 3 to 21 days, kept in brooders and given a commercial starter feed to appetite. Plasma adrenaline (A) and NA and free fatty acids (FFA) were measured at thermoneutral temperature and after 6 h exposure to cold at 5 deg to 7 deg C. So that cold stress would be similar at different ages the birds 5 days old were 5 to a cage, those 10 days old 2 and those 20 days old to a cage. The thermogenic effects of A and NA were measured in birds in a respiration chamber at 25 deg to 27 deg and 5 deg to 7 deg . The conclusion was that at ages 3 to 5 days and 8 to 11 days NA raises plasma FFA, but without thermogenic effect. At the age of 19 to 21 days the same injected dose of NA produced a small but highly significant rise of 9% in metabolic rate. That is to say for the first 2 weeks of life NA is lipolytic but does not stimulate oxidation. Injection of A was without effect at any age studied.