Zucker obese rats are sensitive to weight-reducing effect and insensitive to orexigenic effect by cold exposure

Male Wistar and Zucker (lean and obese) rats at 7 weeks of age were divided into three groups: warm-acclimated (25 degreesC for 11 weeks), cold-acclim ated (10 degreesC for 11 weeks), and deacclimated (10 degreesC for 9 weeks and 25 degreesC for 2 weeks) groups. The rate of increase in body mass (BM) was lower in obese rats as compared to lean rats. Cold-acclimated Wistar a nd Zucker lean rats exhibited greater food intake, compared to warm-acclima ted rats. Food intake did not increase in obese rats exposed to cold. Obese rats are sensitive to weight-reducing effect and insensitive to the orexig enic effect by cold exposure. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights res erved.