Apoptosis in the rat brown adipose tissue after insulin treatment

Abstract

In this study it is demonstrated that chronically applied high dose (4 IU/kg) of insulin induced apoptosis of rat brown adipocytes in vivo. A qualitative morphological study was performed on the brown adipose tissue using light and electron microscopy, and revealed that: (1) apoptotic areas occurred in parenchyma; (2) morphological changes observed closely resembled the apoptotic body. These results indicate that apoptosis appears to be the mechanism responsible for the loss of brown adipocytes caused by hyperinsulinaemia.