Lipectomy in obese hyperglycemic mice (ob-ob)

Mature, female obese-hyperglycemic mice ($\text{ob}\text{ob}$) were subjected to partial ablation of abdominal adipose tissue. Between operation and sacrifice, the amount of body fat gained by these mice was significantly greater than that of the “sham-operated” animals. It is not known whether the restoration of body fat to normal in the lipectomized animals was achieved by hypertrophy of the remaining adipose tissue or by compensatory expansion of adipocyte number. The data suggest that the total body fat rather than the fat per adipocyte is the regulated variable in $\text{ob}\text{ob}$.