Young growing rats treated with an antiserum to adipocytes showed marked reductions in several adipose tissue depots but surprisingly demonstrated increased body weight gain. During the first 3 wk after treatment body weight gain increased by 17% with no effect on food intake, whereas during weeks 3-7 body weight gain increased by 40-50% and was accompanied by a 15% increase in food intake. These animals thus exhibited increased food conversion efficiencies (intake/gain) of approximately 15-20% for almost 2 mo. Subsequently, food intake and body weight gain returned to normal (although body weight remained elevated) up to 6 mo. By this time several fat depots were still reduced in size, although total (chemical) fat was identical in treated and control groups. These results suggest that 1) reduction of body fat depots can be achieved using antibodies to adipocytes, 2) compensatory increases in lean body mass can occur, and 3) total fat mass may be regulated.
Antibodies to fat cell membranes have major effects on fat depots and body composition. In rats the use of such antibodies has resulted in a 30% reduction in body fat content. The success of this novel approach has major implications for the meat industry and may lead to a new approach to the control of human obesity.
Hormonal growth promoters (growth hormone (GH), agonists, steroids) which improve growth rate and/or lean: fat ratios in the carcass have received considerable adverse publicity and are either banned or have no licence for their use in the EC. This has led to the development of a number of techniques, involving the use of antibodies, aimed at regulating metabolic processes involved in determining growth and body composition.A different approach to the problem of excess fat deposition involves the use of antibodies directed against the plasma membranes of adipocytes in order to elicit their destruction and thereby limit the storage capacity for fat. This technique has been demonstrated in rats, sheep and pigs in both passive and active immunization techniques. Once again, however, this promising approach is limited by the lack of a commercially suitable vaccine. The identification of individual membrane proteins which are antigenic has been achieved and this provides the prospect of producing recombinant DNA-derived vaccines.Whether these new approaches will be perceived as acceptable to the general public remains a serious concern and a potential limitation to their development as many wouldbe sponsors cut back their support for research in these areas.
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