title: Vagotomy reduces obesity in MSG-treated rats.
abstract: In order to study the role of vagus nerve activity at the onset of obesity induced by monosodium glutamate (MSG), 30-day-old MSG-rats were vagotomized or sham operated. Body weight and food intake were recorded until animals were 90 days old and then sacrificed. Naso-anal length was recorded for all animals. Periepididymal and retroperitoneal fat pads were isolated and weighed. Reduction of body weight and naso-anal length were registered in 30-day-old MSG-rats. Obesity could also be observed, as increase of Lee index indicated. Results were most evident in 90-day-old MSG-rats. In both groups neither body weight gain nor food intake was changed by vagotomy. However, fat accumulation on tissues was reduced by vagotomy in MSG-rats. The results showed that MSG-obesity is not related to an increment in food intake behavior. Vagotonia might play a role at the onset of MSG-obesity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, State University of Maringá, PR, Brazil.
authors.forename: S L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Balbo
authors.forename: P C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Mathias
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Bonfleur
authors.forename: H F
authors.initials: HF
authors.lastname: Alves
authors.forename: F J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Siroti
authors.forename: O G
authors.initials: OG
authors.lastname: Monteiro
authors.forename: F B
authors.initials: FB
authors.lastname: Ribeiro
authors.forename: A C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Souza
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D004435:Eating; D004822:Epididymis / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012187:Retroperitoneal Space / Q000473:pathology; D012970:Sodium Glutamate; D014628:Vagotomy; D014630:Vagus Nerve / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D012970:Sodium Glutamate