Abstract
IN small mammals brown adipose tissue (BAT) is an important site of non-shivering heat production1,2. Its mass increases during cold adaptation together with the ability to produce heat (ref. 3 and G. H., unpublished), thus improving cold tolerance4. In the golden hamster, Hoffman et al.5 also found an increase of BAT weight following exposure to short photoperiods. The pineal hormone melatonin has been shown to affect photoperiodic responses (ref. 6, and K. H. and G. H., unpublished), and therefore an action of melatonin on development of BAT seemed likely. In this study, the effect of short photoperiods and of melatonin on the amount of BAT was investigated in the Djungarian hamster Phodopus sungorus. This species shows a marked annual cycle of testis size and activity, body weight, and coat colour when kept under natural light conditions7, and all of these functions can be influenced by manipulation of the photoperiod (ref. 6, and K. H. and G. H., unpublished). The species does not hibernate, but may show daily torpor in winter, while the gonads are regressed even at room temperature7.
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HELDMAIER, G., HOFFMANN, K. Melatonin stimulates Growth of Brown Adipose Tissue. Nature 247, 224–225 (1974). https://doi.org/10.1038/247224a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/247224a0
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