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Does the glycogen synthase (EC 2.4.1.21) of brown adipose tissue play a regulatory role in glucose homeostasis?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 March 2007

Zecharia Madar  and
Ayalah Harel
Zecharia Madar
Affiliation:
Department of Biochemistry and Human Nutrition, Faculty of Agriculture, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, PO Box 12, Rehovot 76100, Israel
Ayalah Harel
Affiliation:
Department of Biochemistry and Human Nutrition, Faculty of Agriculture, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, PO Box 12, Rehovot 76100, Israel
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Abstract

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Glycogen synthase (GS) activity was characterized in rat brown adipose tissue (BAT) and the activity was found to be much higher than that in white adipose tissue. Prolonged starvation had no effect on the active form of GS, as found in the liver and muscle. The GS activity was similar in BAT of rats housed in an animal room (21+± 1°) whether they were fed on high-carbohydrate, high-fat, or stock diets. Acclimatizatioin of rats to cold (4+± 1°) for 2 weeks significantly increased GS activity. This increase in the cold was fivefold greater when rats were fed on high-carbohydrate diets than in control rats at room temperature fed on an identical diet. The increase was accompanied by a large accumulation of glycogen in BAT. It was concluded that GS may play an important role in BAT and may contribute to the control of blood glucose in a cold environment. Its relevance to thermogenesis requires further elucidation.

Keywords

FastingHigh-carbohydrate dietHigh-fat dietGlycogen synthase
Type
Carbohydrate Metabolism
Information
British Journal of Nutrition , Volume 66 , Issue 1 , July 1991 , pp. 95 - 104
Copyright
Copyright © The Nutrition Society 1991

References

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