Food intake during tumor growth: anorexia in genetically obese ob/ob mice and hyperphagia in lean mice

Recent findings indicate that obese (ob/ob) mice suffer a low incidence of lung metastasis and survive longer than lean (+/?) littermates following injection with B16 melanoma cells [34]. The present study examined the food intake of obese and lean mice during the growth of this tumor. Mice from both groups increased their food intake by small and approximately equal amounts during the first three quarters of the survival period following injection with 10⁶ cells, and body weights remained fairly stable. During the final quarter, however, obese mice became anorexic whereas lean mice became intensely hyperphagic; body weights changed accordingly. Thus, food intake is differentially affected by tumor growth in this form of genetic obesity.