Effect of (-)-hydroxycitrate on development of obesity in the Zucker obese rat.

Young Zucker lean (Fa/-) and obese (fa/fa) female rats were fed the fatty acid synthesis inhibitor (-)-hydroxy-citrate as a dietary admixture for 39 days. In the lean rats, (-)-hydroxycitrate treatment decreased body weight, food intake, percent of body fat, and fat cell size. In the obese rat, food intake and body weight were reduced but the percent of body fat remained unchanged. Throughout the treatment period, obese rats maintained a fat cell size equivalent to their obese controls. Although a reduction in fat cell number in the obese rats occurred during the treatment period, marked hyperplasia was observed during the posttreatment period. The results of this study indicate that the obese rat, despite a substantial reduction in body weight produced by (-)-hydroxycitrate, still defends its obese body composition.