Effects of acarbose on food intake, body weight and fat depots in lean and obese rats

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Effects of dietary acarbose at 0, 5, 15 and 50 mg per 100 g diet on food intake and body weight were studied for two months in female rats. The relationships between diet composition, the drug dose and the type of obesity were examined. In lean rats receiving the drug in a high carbohydrate diet (70 Cal.%), mean food intake was similar to control at 5 and 15 mg dietary levels, but was significantly increased at 50 mg. Body weight was significantly reduced only at the 15 mg level. In VMH obese rats receiving the drug in a high carbohydrate diet, it resulted in significant reductions in food intake at the 15 and 50 mg drug levels and in significant reductions in body weight at all three drug levels. In dietary obese rats receiving the drug in a high carbohydrate diet and also in a 32% sucrose drinking solution, food intake and body weight were significantly reduced at each of the drug levels. In dietary obese rats receiving the drug in a high fat diet (70 Cal.%), acarbose at all levels resulted in only small and usually not significant changes in either food intake or body weight. Weight of fat depots were significantly reduced at the 50 mg dietary level in all instances where a high carbohydrate diet was used while at the 5 mg level, fat depots were reduced only in the VMH obese, with the sucrose obese showing a trend for reduced depots. Acarbose in the high fat diet resulted in no significant changes in weight of fat depots. These data indicate that acarbose in a high carbohydrate diet is effective in reducing weight of rats, and that obese usually show a greater reduction in food intake and body weight than lean rats.