TY - JOUR
T1 - Sex differences in high fat-induced obesity in rats
T2 - Effects of 18-methoxycoronaridine
AU - Taraschenko, Olga D.
AU - Maisonneuve, Isabelle M.
AU - Glick, Stanley D.
N1 - Funding Information:
This research was supported by grant DA 016283 from the National Institute on Drug Abuse .
PY - 2011/6/1
Y1 - 2011/6/1
N2 - Evidence suggests that the development of diet-induced obesity in males and females might be mediated by distinct mechanisms, warranting different treatment approaches. In previous studies from this laboratory, a high sucrose diet induced excessive weight gain in female but not in male Sprague-Dawley rats, while weight gain in both sexes was similarly attenuated by the administration of a selective antagonist of α3β4 nicotinic receptors, 18-methoxycoronaridine (18-MC). In the present study, assessment of high-fat induced weight gain, consummatory behavior and biochemical markers of obesity was conducted in male and female Sprague-Dawley rats and the effects of 18-MC treatment were compared in the two sexes. Male rats consuming a high-fat (HF) diet developed excessive weight gain and fat deposition compared to same same-sex controls fed with a low-fat (LF) diet. The development of obesity in these rats was attenuated by repeated administration of 18-MC (20. mg/kg, i.p.), which significantly reduced their food intake without altering water intake. In contrast, female rats consuming a HF diet did not become obese and did not respond to 18-MC treatment. These results show that males and females are differentially responsive to HF-induced obesity; the 18-MC data suggest that α3β4 nicotinic receptors may participate in maintaining obesity, possibly becoming a new and important target for anti-obesity agents.
AB - Evidence suggests that the development of diet-induced obesity in males and females might be mediated by distinct mechanisms, warranting different treatment approaches. In previous studies from this laboratory, a high sucrose diet induced excessive weight gain in female but not in male Sprague-Dawley rats, while weight gain in both sexes was similarly attenuated by the administration of a selective antagonist of α3β4 nicotinic receptors, 18-methoxycoronaridine (18-MC). In the present study, assessment of high-fat induced weight gain, consummatory behavior and biochemical markers of obesity was conducted in male and female Sprague-Dawley rats and the effects of 18-MC treatment were compared in the two sexes. Male rats consuming a high-fat (HF) diet developed excessive weight gain and fat deposition compared to same same-sex controls fed with a low-fat (LF) diet. The development of obesity in these rats was attenuated by repeated administration of 18-MC (20. mg/kg, i.p.), which significantly reduced their food intake without altering water intake. In contrast, female rats consuming a HF diet did not become obese and did not respond to 18-MC treatment. These results show that males and females are differentially responsive to HF-induced obesity; the 18-MC data suggest that α3β4 nicotinic receptors may participate in maintaining obesity, possibly becoming a new and important target for anti-obesity agents.
KW - High fat diet
KW - Nicotinic antagonists
KW - Nicotinic receptors
KW - Weight gain
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U2 - 10.1016/j.physbeh.2011.02.011
DO - 10.1016/j.physbeh.2011.02.011
M3 - Article
C2 - 21324333
AN - SCOPUS:79952792914
SN - 0031-9384
VL - 103
SP - 308
EP - 314
JO - Physiology and Behavior
JF - Physiology and Behavior
IS - 3-4
ER -