Differentiation of brown adipose cells in three-dimensional collagen gel culture

Brown adipose cells are heat-producing cells through non-shivering thermogenesis by intramitochondrial "thermogenin". This specific protein is a marker for their cellular differentiation. It has long been known that cultured brown adipose cells in monolayer rapidly lose the thermogenin bioactivity. In this study, we cultured brown adipose cells in three-dimensional type I collagen gel matrix. Under this culture condition, they were able to survive, and differentiated morphologically and functionally for a long period of time, especially exhibited the characteristic immunohistochemical activity of thermogenin. These findings suggest that brown adipose cells differentiate in type I collagen gel. In this condition, cholera toxin or BRL 37344, one of beta 3-adrenoceptor agonists, specifically stimulated the brown adipose cells.