Adrenalectomy and food restriction in the genetically obese (ob/ob) mouse
Saito, M.; Bray, G.A.
American Journal of Physiology 246(1 Pt 2): R20-R25
1984
ISSN/ISBN: 0002-9513 PMID: 6421174 Document Number: 239778
After adrenalectomy in obese mice the rate of weight gain paralleled that in lean controls and fell progressively behind that in intact ob/ob mice. Food intake was reduced to normal, but body temperature of adrenalectomized ob/ob mice was similar to that of intact ob/ob mice and remained below that of control lean mice. After exposure to an ambient temperature of 6 degrees C, body temperature in adrenalectomized ob/ob mice fell at the same rate as in intact ob/ob mice. Increase in tail length, brain weight, spleen weight and muscle weight after adrenalectomy in ob/ob mice could not be duplicated by reducing the weight gain of ob/ob mice to that of adrenalectomized mice. Induction of obesity with gold thioglucose significantly increased the weight of the gastrocnemius muscle and spleen rather than lowering it to levels found in ob/ob mice. Treatment of adrenalectomized ob/ob mice with cortisone acetate, but not with deoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA), reduced muscle weight, spleen weight, brain weight and growth in tail length. Cortisone and DOCA increased food intake, liver weight, growth rate and the weight of the adipose tissue in ob/ob mice.