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Adiposity induced by adenovirus 5 inoculation

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

To investigate the effect of viral inoculation by adenovirus 5 (Ad5) on body composition in a mouse model.

DESIGN:

Longitudinal monitoring before and after a single injection of virus or saline.

SUBJECTS:

Two groups of CD1 mice, one group given a single intraperitoneal dose of Ad5 and the control group, saline.

MEASUREMENTS:

Bodyweights and food intake were recorded before and up to 21 weeks after inoculation. At the end of the study, whole-body 1H magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) and localised in vivo 1H MRS spectroscopy of the liver was performed to assess whole-body adiposity and intrahepatic lipid content, respectively.

RESULTS:

Ad5-treated animals gained significantly more weight over a period of 21 weeks after inoculation than the controls, 21.8 g (18.8–25.0) and 18.8 g (17.3–19.8) respectively, (P<0.05). The gain in bodyweight in the former animals arises from increased deposition of adipose tissue as measured by whole-body 1H MRS. Adiposity was 6.7% (3.10–11.20%), and 2.40% (0.85–5.65%) for the Ad5-treated and control animals, respectively (P<0.05). No significant difference in intrahepatic lipid content or food intake was observed between the two groups.

CONCLUSION:

The significantly higher percentage of adipose tissue in the Ad5-treated mice suggest viral infection may play a contributory role to a predisposition to obesity, although its contribution relative to other factors remains to be determined.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Dr I McNeish for the gift of adenovirus 5, The Wellcome Trust for funding the Biological Imaging Centre facility, the Medical Research Council for funding the research and Ernesto Torres-Guzman por inspiratio.

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Correspondence to P-W So.

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So, PW., Herlihy, A. & Bell, J. Adiposity induced by adenovirus 5 inoculation. Int J Obes 29, 603–606 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ijo.0802917

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