[Effects of K+ or norepinephrine on oxygen uptake in brown adipose tissue (author's transl)]

This investigation was undertaken to clarify the mechanism of the stimulated--respiration caused by K+ or norepinephrine in brown adipose tissue. 1. The addition of 30 approximately 100 mM K+ stimulated remarkably oxygen uptake in brown adipose tissue, and similarly norepinephrine (0.1 or 1.0 mug/ml) caused a marked stimulation. 2. Even if Na+ in normal Ringer solution was replaced by Choline or Li+, oxygen uptake caused by K+ (30 mM) or norepinephrine (1.0 mug/ml) was unaffected. 3. K+ -induced oxygen uptake was not observed when a Ca2+ -deficient tissue was incubated in Ca2+ -free Ringer, while norepinephrine-induced oxygen uptake clearly observed. And the oxygen uptake of Ca2+ -deficient tissue due to K+ was recovered by the addition of 5 mM Ca2+. 4. Mn2+ (6 mM) or La3+ (10 mM) inhibited significantly oxygen uptake due to K+, but not oxygen uptake due to norepinephrine. 5. K+ -induced oxygen uptake was unaffected by 10(-4) or 10(-3)M ouabain, but norepinephrine-induced oxygen uptake was inhibited considerably by 10(-4)M ouabain. 6. The oxygen uptake due to K+ was unaffected by propranolol (33 muM), whereas that due to norepinephrine was significantly inhibited in the presence of propranolol. 7. In the tissue from reserpine-treated animal, the oxygen uptake caused by K+ was observed. According, from these positive results we are justified to suggest that K+ -induced oxygen uptake is dependent on the presence of Ca2+, and not always caused by catecholamines released secondarily from nerve terminal.