Quantitative contribution of brown adipose tissue thermogenesis to overall metabolism.

Measurement of brown adipose tissue (BAT) blood flow coupled, when feasible, with measurement of the arteriovenous difference in oxygen across the tissue has been used to estimate the contribution of BAT thermogenesis to the metabolism of several species of laboratory, domestic, or wild mammals under various conditions: warm or cold exposure; arousal from hibernation; stimulation of metabolism by exogenous noradrenaline in warm- or cold-acclimated animals, in lean or obese animals, and in animals exhibiting high- or low-diet-induced thermogenesis. These studies have shown that in some species and under certain conditions BAT thermogenesis may account for as much as about one-third of the overall metabolic rate.