Effects of cold acclimation on hepatic carbohydrate and lipid metabolism

Abstract

The acclimation of rats to low environmental temperatures was found to alter the hepatic metabolic response to fasting for 1 day at 0–2°C. Liver glycogen was stabilized, fatty infiltration of the liver did not occur and liver slices were better able to oxidize acetate-I-C¹⁴ and palmitate-I-C¹⁴ to C¹⁴O₂. These results provide an excellent example of an acclimation process occurring at the molecular level.