The induction of obesity in the rat with bipiperidyl mustard

Lesions in the ventromedial region of the hypothalamus were shown by Hetherington &
Ranson (1940) to produce hyperphagia and obesity in the rat. The chemical agents gold
thioglucose (GTG; Brecher & Waxler, 1949) and bipiperidyl mustard (BPM; Rutman
et al. 1966) which are widely used to induce obesity in mice also produce lesions in this
region of the hypothalamus (Marshall et al. 1955; Rutman et al. 1966). The use of GTG to
induce obesity in the rat has proved to be unsuitable for widespread use and would be very
expensive (Mayer & Marshall, 1956; Wagner & de Groot 1963). Bunyan et al. (1976) have
shown that monosodium glutamate administered to newborn rats and mice produces
obesity without hyperphagia.
Miller (1979) has recently reviewed non-genetic models of obesity and has summarized
methods which produce a high proportion of obese mice, with low mortality, using monosodium
glutamate or gold thioglucose, but although he mentions the use of BPM in mice
he does not recommend it because it is carcinogenic and difficult to obtain. He concludes
that in all the models of obesity efficiency of energy utilization is the most important factor
in the aetiology of the obesity.
We now report an experiment in which obesity has been induced in the rat without mortality
and inexpensively using BPM.

Citation:
Jagot, S.A.; Webb, G.P. Rogers; P.D.; Dickerson, J.W.T. (1980) ‘The induction of obesity in the rat with bipiperidyl mustard’ British Journal of Nutrition 44 (3) 253-255.