Rapamycin protects against high fat diet–induced obesity in C57BL/6J mice

GR Chang, YS Chiu, YY Wu, WY Chen… - Journal of …, 2009 - jstage.jst.go.jp
GR Chang, YS Chiu, YY Wu, WY Chen, JW Liao, TH Chao, FC Mao
Journal of pharmacological sciences, 2009jstage.jst.go.jp
Rapamycin (RAPA), an immunosuprpressive drug used extensively to prevent graft rejection
in transplant patients, has been reported to inhibit adipogenesis in vitro. In this study, we
investigated the anti-obesity effects of RAPA in C57BL/6J mice on a high-fat diet (HFD). Mice
treated with RAPA (2mg/kgperweek for 16weeks) had reduced body weight and epididymal
fat pads/body weight, reduced daily food efficiency, and lower serum leptin and insulin
levels compared with the HFD control mice. However, RAPA-treated mice were …
Abstract
Rapamycin (RAPA), an immunosuprpressive drug used extensively to prevent graft rejection in transplant patients, has been reported to inhibit adipogenesis in vitro. In this study, we investigated the anti-obesity effects of RAPA in C57BL/6J mice on a high-fat diet (HFD). Mice treated with RAPA (2mg/kgperweek for 16weeks) had reduced body weight and epididymal fat pads/body weight, reduced daily food efficiency, and lower serum leptin and insulin levels compared with the HFD control mice. However, RAPA-treated mice were hyperphagic, demonstrating an increase in food intake. Dissection of RAPA-treated mice revealed a marked reduction in fatty liver scores, average fat cell size, and percentage of large adipocytes of retroperitoneal and epididymal white adipose tissue (RWAT and EWAT), compared to the HFD control mice. These results suggest that RAPA prevented the effect of the high-fat diet on the rate of accretion in body weight via reducing lipid accumulation, despite greater food intake. It is likely that RAPA may serve as a potential strategy for body weight control and/or antiobesity therapy.
jstage.jst.go.jp