PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - Bachman, Eric S. AU - Dhillon, Harveen AU - Zhang, Chen-Yu AU - Cinti, Saverio AU - Bianco, Antonio C. AU - Kobilka, Brian K. AU - Lowell, Bradford B. TI - βAR Signaling Required for Diet-Induced Thermogenesis and Obesity Resistance AID - 10.1126/science.1073160 DP - 2002 Aug 02 TA - Science PG - 843--845 VI - 297 IP - 5582 4099 - http://science.sciencemag.org/content/297/5582/843.short 4100 - http://science.sciencemag.org/content/297/5582/843.full SO - Science2002 Aug 02; 297 AB - Excessive caloric intake is thought to be sensed by the brain, which then activates thermogenesis as a means of preventing obesity. The sympathetic nervous system, through β-adrenergic receptor (βAR) action on target tissues, is likely the efferent arm of this homeostatic mechanism. To test this hypothesis, we created mice that lack the three known βARs (β-less mice). β-less mice on a Chow diet had a reduced metabolic rate and were slightly obese. On a high-fat diet, β-less mice, in contrast to wild-type mice, developed massive obesity that was due entirely to a failure of diet-induced thermogenesis. These findings establish that βARs are necessary for diet-induced thermogenesis and that this efferent pathway plays a critical role in the body's defense against diet-induced obesity.