Seasonal variations in the mass and composition of brown adipose tissue in the meadow vole, Microtus pennsylvanicus

Abstract

Wild meadow voles were collected each month of the year and analyzed for the mass and composition of their brown adipose tissue. The relative mass of brown adipose tissue decreased with increasing body weight in both summer and winter.Seasonal changes in the relative mass of brown adipose tissue were inversely related to seasonal changes in ambient temperature. In mature voles, the relative mass of brown adipose tissue was lowest during summer (0.5%) and increased rapidly to a level of 1.7% in early winter. Similarly, immature voles had their lowest relative mass in summer (1.0%) and increased this to 2.3% in winter. Both groups showed some decrease in the winter amount of the tissue when the subnivean environment became established. The percentage composition of brown adipose tissue with respect to water, lipid, and protein did not change significantly through the year.The results provide corroboration for laboratory studies which show that the mass and composition of brown adipose tissue are related to the requirement for cold thermogenesis. In voles, this requirement was present throughout the year and varied only in degree.