Effect of factors besides hyperphagia on cellularity of adipose tissue in gold thioglucose-induced obese mice.

Whether or not factors besides hyperphagia influence cellularity of adipose tissue in gold thioglucose (GTG)-treated mice was examined. The animals were treated with GTG (800 mg/kg body weight) or saline as control. Control and one of the GTG-treated groups were given a diet ad libitum and another of the GTG-treated groups was pair-fed to control. In GTG-treated group fed ad libitum, hyperphagia and obesity were observed and an enlargement in the parametrial adipose tissue was mainly due to increases both in size and number of adipocytes. The GTG-treated group became obese compared to control even if food intake was comparable. The pair-feeding failed to inhibit completely the increase of both size and number of adipocytes in the fat pads. These results suggest that other factors besides hyperphagia might influence changes of cellularity of the parametrial adipose tissue in the GTG-induced obesity.