Regulation and measurement of brown adipose tissue blood flow

Abstract: Brown adipose tissue (BAT) is an organ specialized in macromolecule combustion in order to produce heat. Because of its high capacity to dissipate energy, it is currently among the best hopes for future treatments of obesity and diabetes. BAT is permeated by a vast capillary network that delivers blood rich in oxygen and nutrients to supply the high metabolic needs of the tissue. At the same time, metabolites, carbon dioxide and warm blood are drained back into systemic circulation. Blood flow is in fact a limiting factor for thermogenesis. Therefore, understanding BAT blood flow regulation is a crucial step for describing the tissue function. This thesis aims to summarize anatomical descriptions, to discuss the methodological evolution of the field, and to synthetize what we have learned about mechanistic regulation of BAT blood flow during the last half century. Manuscript I introduces a new method (high-resolution laser-doppler imaging) for the measurement of BAT blood flow, and gives mechanistic insights about its physiological regulation. Manuscript II focuses on the influence of bombesin receptor subtype-3 on the neurological control of body temperature and thermogenesis.