
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Clements, Fiona 
A1  - Hope, Perdita 
A1  - Daniels, Chris 
A1  - Chapman, Ian 
A1  - Wittert, Gary 
T1  - Thermogenesis in the marsupial <emph type="2">Sminthopsis crassicaudata</emph>: effect of catecholamines and diet
JF  - Australian Journal of Zoology
JO  - Aust. J. Zool.
Y1  - 1999
VL  - 46
IS  - 4
SP  - 381
EP  - 390
KW  - 
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1071/ZO98022 
N2  - The fat-tailed dunnart (Sminthopsis crassicaudata) is a small carnivorous marsupial with detectable brown adipose tissue. In order to determine whether catecholamines and food intake increase thermogenesis in this species, we measured the response of oxygen consumption (Vo2) to (i) intraperitoneal noradrenaline (0.25&#8211;4.0 mg kg-1), and (ii) food intake. The effect of nutritional status and macronutrient composition of the diet on the Vo2 response to food intake was determined by feeding both non-deprived and 24-h-food-deprived animals with either laboratory diet (1.01 Kcal g-1 (4.2 KJ g-1), 20% fat) or live mealworms (Tenebrio molitor larvae) (2.99 Kcal g-1 (12.5 KJ g-1), 30% fat). Intraperitoneal injection of noradrenaline at doses of 0.25 and 0.5 mg kg-1 increased Vo2 by 14% and 31% respectively at 30 min (P &#x2264; 0.05), whereas noradrenaline at 2 and 4 mg kg-1 decreased Vo2 by 10% and 31% respectively (P &#x2264; 0.05). Following food intake, Vo2 increased in both non-deprived (P &#60; 0.05) and 24-h-food-deprived (P &#60; 0.05) animals. While the magnitude of the increase in Vo2 was similar in animals fed with either laboratory diet or mealworms, both diets increased Vo2 more in non-deprived than in 24-h-food-deprived animals (P &#60; 0.05). These results suggest that in S. crassicaudata (i) catecholamines increase thermogenesis and (ii) the magnitude of diet-induced thermogenesis is dependent on both the nutritional status of the animal and the macronutrient composition of the diet. 
ER  -

