-The effects of long-term cold exposure on brown adipose tissue (BAT) thermogenesis in hypothyroid rats have been examined. Thyroid ablation was performed in normal rats after 2 mo of exposure to 4°C, when BAT hypertrophy and thermogenic activity were maximal. After ablation, hypothyroid and normal controls remained in the cold for 2 additional months. At the end of the 4-mo cold exposure, all untreated hypothyroid rats were alive, had normal body temperature, and had gained an average 12.8% more weight than normal controls. Long-term cold exposure of hypothyroid rats markedly increased BAT weight, mitochondrial proteins, uncoupling protein (UCP)-1, mRNA for UCP-1, and oxygen consumption to levels similar to those seen in cold-exposed normal rats. The results indicate that thyroid hormones are required for increased thermogenic capacity to occur as an adaptation to long-term cold exposure. However, cold adaptation can be maintained in the absence of thyroid hormone. cold acclimation; uncoupling protein-1; hypothyroidism; oxygen consumption; norepinephrine THE IMPORTANCE OF THE BROWN ADIPOSE TISSUE (BAT) thermogenic response to acute cold stress has been widely recognized (for reviews see Refs. 21,22,30). Numerous complex phenomena take place in BAT after exposure to low temperatures, leading to the synthesis of mitochondrial proteins involved in heat production. A critical role in this process is the synthesis of uncoupling protein-1 (UCP-1), strongly promoted by norepinephrine (NE) through a synergism between ␣-and -adrenergic receptors (24,32,40). The presence of the thyroid hormones is essential to initiate BAT heat production, because triiodothyronine (T 3 ) potentiates the action of NE on UCP-1 gene transcription (2-4, 37). This explains the development of hypothermia in hypothyroid rats soon after exposure to low temperatures, an effect corrected by the administration of thyroid hormones but not by the administration of NE (39).Thyroid hormones are active regulators of basal metabolic rate (BMR) and energy expenditure by a number of mechanisms (9,12,38,39). However, earlier studies had suggested that the thyroid hormone may not be necessary for a sustained normothermia after acclimation to cold has been achieved (for review see Ref. 13). Thus Hsieh and Carlson (25) observed a high metabolic rate and normal life survival in hypothyroid rats adapted to cold before thyroidectomy. Despite numerous studies, the influence of thyroid function on the maintenance of normothermia in rodents exposed to prolonged low temperature is not clearly understood.The purpose of the present study was to assess the role of the thyroid hormones in BAT thermogenesis during long-term cold exposure. After a period of time in the cold, rats were made hypothyroid. Hypothyroid and normal controls were then maintained for an additional period of time in the cold, and thereafter BAT was studied. Accordingly, hypothyroidism was induced after BAT hypertrophy and thermogenic activity were maximally activated. In contrast, room temperaturea...