Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2018[Jan]; 115 (4): 810-5 PMID29311303show ga
Mice can reduce their body temperature and metabolic rate and enter torpor when they are subjected to cold, calorie deprivation, or administration of some metabolic inhibitors. Here we show that administration of pyruvate, a key metabolic intermediate and substrate for gluconeogenesis, induces torpor in obese mice, resulting in marked hypothermia, decreased activity, and decreased metabolic rate. This is dependent on adenosine signaling and on changes in key brain metabolites, including GABA. Lean mice are protected from pyruvate-induced torpor by activating their brown adipose tissue. Understanding this pathway can help provide new approaches for inducing a hypometabolic state in mammals, which could be beneficial in states of food deprivation or ischemia?reperfusion injury and for organ preservation in surgical situations.