The mechanisms of brown adipose tissue (BAT) growth were studied by quantitative photonic radioautography using tritiated thymidine to follow mitotic activity. To identify the nature of the adrenergic pathways mediating brown adipocyte proliferation and differentiation, the effects of cold exposure (4 days at 4 degrees C) on BAT growth were compared with those induced by treating rats at 25 degrees C with norepinephrine (a mixed agonist), isoproterenol (a beta-agonist), and phenylephrine (an alpha-agonist). The drugs were continuously administrated via osmotic minipumps (0.375 mumol/h during 4 days) implanted subcutaneously. Cold exposure markedly enhanced the mitotic activity in brown adipocyte precursor cells (interstitial cells and preadipocytes) and endothelial cells forming the numerous capillaries. Norepinephrine mimicked the effects of cold exposure, not only on the mitotic activity, but also on the distribution of the labeling among the various cellular types. Isoproterenol entirely reproduced the effects of norepinephrine both on the labeling index and on the cellular type labeling frequency. In contrast, phenylephrine did not stimulate cell division. These results demonstrate that norepinephrine triggers a coordinated proliferation of brown adipocytes and endothelial cells in warm-exposed rats that is similar to that observed after cold exposure. They also suggest that cold exposure stimulates BAT growth by increasing the release of norepinephrine from sympathetic nerves and that the neurohormone activates mitoses in BAT precursor cells via beta-adrenergic pathways.