title: Weight-reducing effects of the plasma protein encoded by the obese gene.
abstract: The gene product of the ob locus is important in the regulation of body weight. The ob product was shown to be present as a 16-kilodalton protein in mouse and human plasma but was undetectable in plasma from C57BL/6J ob/ob mice. Plasma levels of this protein were increased in diabetic (db) mice, a mutant thought to be resistant to the effects of ob. Daily intraperitoneal injections of either mouse or human recombinant OB protein reduced the body weight of ob/ob mice by 30 percent after 2 weeks of treatment with no apparent toxicity but had no effect on db/db mice. The protein reduced food intake and increased energy expenditure in ob/ob mice. Injections of wild-type mice twice daily with the mouse protein resulted in a sustained 12 percent weight loss, decreased food intake, and a reduction of body fat from 12.2 to 0.7 percent. These data suggest that the OB protein serves an endocrine function to regulate body fat stores.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Molecular Genetics, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Rockfeller University, New York, NY 10021, USA.
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Halaas
authors.forename: K S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Gajiwala
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Maffei
authors.forename: S L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Cohen
authors.forename: B T
authors.initials: BT
authors.lastname: Chait
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rabinowitz
authors.forename: R L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Lallone
authors.forename: S K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Burley
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Friedman
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000187:drug effects; D000818:Animals; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D001823:Body Composition / Q000187:drug effects; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000097:blood / Q000503:physiopathology; D004435:Eating / Q000187:drug effects; D004734:Energy Metabolism / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020738:Leptin; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008820:Mice, Obese; D009765:Obesity / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011506:Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000502:physiology; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology; D015431:Weight Loss / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D020738:Leptin; D011506:Proteins; D011994:Recombinant Proteins