Effects of acute and chronic inhibition of nitric oxide synthase on brown adipose tissue thermogenesis.

This study was undertaken to examine the possible role of nitric oxide (NO) on brown adipose tissue (BAT) thermogenesis in rats. The chronic administration of N omega-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME; NO synthase inhibitor) in drinking water given to rats decreased interscapular BAT (IBAT) weight as well as DNA content in a warm environment (25 +/- 1 degrees C; 2 and 4 weeks), and inhibited the cold-stimulated (5 +/- 1 degrees C; 2 weeks) increase in IBAT weight and DNA content. L-Arginine administration (4 weeks in a warm environment) increased the DNA content of IBAT. Chronic L-NAME administration (2 weeks in a warm environment) eliminated the NE-stimulated increase in in vivo oxygen consumption (VO2), caused hypothermia in acute cold exposure (0 degree C), and suppressed the NE-stimulated increase in in vitro IBAT VO2. In vitro incubation of native IBAT with L-NAME suppressed the basal and NE-stimulated increase in in vitro VO2. In vitro incubation of IBAT with methylene blue (soluble guanylate cyclase inhibitor and a scavenger of free NO) eliminated the NE-stimulated increase in in vitro IBAT VO2. These results suggest that the nitric oxide and NO-cGMP signaling systems are involved in the regulation of BAT cellularity and thermogenesis in rats.