Abstract: | The present experiments were carried out to elucidate the effect of mazindol feeding on obese mice made by gold-thioglucose injection. Mazindol was added to the diet at the level of 0.5, 2, 10 mg/kg body weight. It was found that oral administration of mazindol reduced the body weight gain and perimetrial adipose tissue weights increased in GTG-obese mice. Decreased adipose tissue weights were correlated with the decreased level of size and volume of fat cells. Basal lipolytic activity and adrenaline-induced lipolysis were also significantly decreased in mazindol groups as compared to those in GTG-obese mice that were not administered mazindol. These results indicate that the weight reduction induced by mazindol administration might not be due to increase in fat mobilization. The increased level of liver and serum lipid induced by GTG-obesity was also found to be improved by mazindol. Scanning electron micrographs indicated that the villous width of the small intestine were significantly smaller in the mazindol group that those in the GTG-obese group. Sucrase and esterase activities of the small intestine were also decreased by mazindol feeding as compared to those in the GTG-obese mice. based on these results mechanisms of action of mazindol were discussed. |