Effect of chronic food restriction on energy balance, thermogenic capacity, and brown-adipose-tissue activity in the rat.

Young male rats were fed a pelleted stock diet either ad libitum (control) or in restricted amounts (65% of control intake) for 17 d. Body energy gain and energy expenditure, determined from energy balance measurements, were reduced by 73 and 27% respectively compared to controls. Resting oxygen consumption was similar for both groups during the light phase but was significantly depressed in energy-restricted rats at night, and the thermogenic response to noradrenaline was also reduced in these animals. Brown-adipose-tissue mass, protein content, and mitochondrial protein were all decreased in the food-deprived rats, and specific and total depot mitochondrial GDP-binding capacity were 29 and 53% lower than controls. The reduced energy expenditure which occurs during food restriction may be due partly to a lower activity of brown adipose tissue which is associated with a decrease in thermogenic capacity.