Adrenalectomy reverses pre-existing obesity in adult genetically obese (ob/ob) mice.
OBJECTIVE
To determine if adrenalectomy would reverse the pre-existing gross obesity, characteristic of adult genetically obese (ob/ob) mice.


METHODS
Adult (12 week old) female ob/ob mice were adrenalectomized and fed a stock diet for 6 or 14 weeks. They were housed at 23-25 degrees C or 33 degrees C. Food intake and total body energy were determined.


RESULTS
Adrenalectomy abolished the hyperphagia characteristic of ob/ob mice. Adrenalectomized ob/ob mice consumed 8-17% less food than intact lean mice. Adrenalectomized ob/ob mice housed at 23-25 degrees C lost 55% of their pre-existing body energy within 6 weeks after surgery and 75% of their body energy within 14 weeks after surgery. At 14 weeks after surgery, body weights and body energy content of the adrenalectomized ob/ob mice were comparable with values for intact lean mice. Intact ob/ob mice pair-fed to adrenalectomized ob/ob mice lost only half as much body energy as the adrenalectomized ob/ob mice did, indicating that adrenalectomy not only diminished food intake in ob/ob mice but also increased their energy expenditure per unit food consumed. Adrenalectomized ob/ob mice housed at 33 degrees C lost only half as much body energy in 6 weeks as did mice housed at 23-25 degrees C.


CONCLUSIONS
Adrenalectomy reverses the gross obesity characteristic of adult ob/ob mice by abolishing their hyperphagia and increasing their energy expenditure per unit food consumed.
Feldkircher
K M
KM
Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Michigan State University, East Lansing, 48824-1224, USA.
Mistry
A M
AM
Romsos
D R
DR
D000315:Adrenalectomy; D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight; D004734:Energy Metabolism; D005260:Female; D006963:Hyperphagia / Q000628:therapy; D051379:Mice; D008820:Mice, Obese; D009765:Obesity / Q000235:genetics / Q000601:surgery*; D013997:Time Factors