Effect of cold acclimation on glucagon receptors of rat white adipocytes.

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Abstract
In order to determine the role of glucagon in cold acclimation, the changes in glucagon receptor were investigated in white adipocytes from cold-acclimated rats by establishing a glucagon radioreceptor assay method for isolated white adipocytes. The following conditions were found to be appropriate for specific glucagon receptor binding assay; cell concentration of about 1 .times. 105 cells/ml, 15 min preincubation with glucagon and 30 min-reaction at 25.degree.C in the presence of bacitracin (1 mg/ml). Cold acclimation decreased the size and increased the number of epididymal white adipocytes. Cold acclimation increased the number of glucagon receptors of white adipocytes, resulting in 140% in terms of unit cell, and 260% increase per unit surface area and 210% increase per whole tissue. However, the affinity of the binding site for glucagon was not affected. The results suggested that an enhanced metabolic response of cold-acclimated rats to glucagon could be partly explained by the increased number of glucagon receptor in white adipocytes.