Effects of the beta-agonist, cimaterol, on growth, body composition and energy expenditure in rats.

1. Male Sprague-Dawley rats weighing 146.5 (SE 4.3) g were fed on a semi-synthetic diet containing 0, 25 or 150 mg cimaterol/kg for 12 d. Net changes in weight and composition of carcass, liver, heart, gastrointestinal tract, gastrocnemius plus plantaris muscles, skin and remainder were estimated by comparative slaughter. 2. Cimaterol increased protein gains in gastrocnemius plus plantaris muscles from 0.09 g in controls to 0.14 and 0.12 g in 25 and 150 mg cimaterol/kg groups respectively. Carcass protein gains increased from 6.27 g in controls to 8.00 and 7.05 g in 25 and 150 mg cimaterol/kg groups respectively. 3. Rats treated with cimaterol either gained less fat or actually lost fat from all tissues studied, whilst control rats gained fat. These changes were reflected in lower energy retention in cimaterol-fed rats. 4. Energy intake was not affected by treatment. Cimaterol increased heat production from 776 kJ/kg body-weight0.75 in controls to 863 kJ/kg body-weight0.75 in both treated groups. Gross efficiency was reduced from 17.4% in controls to 8.0 and 7.7% in rats fed on 25 and 150 mg cimaterol/kg diets respectively. 5. These results indicate that cimaterol increases protein gain at the expense of fat in rats. In addition, subcutaneous adipose tissue appears to be more sensitive than abdominal fat, whilst protein gains are particularly enhanced in skeletal muscle relative to other body tissues.