Onset of excess fat deposition in Zucker rats with and without decreased thermogenesis

Abstract

To study the first stages of excess fat deposition in Zucker rats, we artificially fed littermates with identical amounts of milk from 4 to 15-16 days of age while continuously recording oxygen consumption (VO2) and deep body temperature. Under intermittent cold loads simulating the periodic thermoregulatory stimulation experienced in the nest, differences between the amounts of body fat deposited by artificially reared fatty (fa/fa) and lean (Fa/-) pups were as large as those seen in mother-reared pups. The decreased VO2 of the cold-reared fatty pups could account for 90-100% of their extra fat deposition. At thermoneutrality, 16-day-old littermates reared with low feeding rates showed small but significant genotype differences in body fat that were not energetically accounted for by differences in VO2 or lean body mass. Slightly but significantly lower fecal energy losses indicated that differences in resorption might account for the positive energy balance of thermoneutrally reared fa/fa pups. Reduced energy expenditure thus efficiently fuels excess fat deposition but is not essential for the onset of excess fat deposition in fa/fa pups. Other factors than reduced sympathetic activation of brown adipose tissue must be considered as a primary cause for the development of fa/fa obesity.