Anti-obesity effect of SR141716, a CB1 receptor antagonist, in diet-induced obese mice.

Because the CB1 receptor antagonist SR141716 was previously reported to modulate food intake in rodents, we studied its efficacy in reducing obesity in a diet-induced obesity (DIO) model widely used for research on the human obesity syndrome. During a 5-wk treatment, SR141716 (10 mg. kg(-1). day(-1) orally) induced a transient reduction of food intake (-48% on week 1) and a marked but sustained reduction of body weight (-20%) and adiposity (-50%) of DIO mice. Furthermore, SR141716 corrected the insulin resistance and lowered plasma leptin, insulin, and free fatty acid levels. Most of these effects were present, but less pronounced at 3 mg. kg(-1). day(-1). In addition to its hypophagic action, SR141716 may influence metabolic processes as the body weight loss of SR141716-treated mice was significantly higher during 24-h fasting compared with vehicle-treated animals, and when a 3-day treatment was compared with a pair feeding. SR141716 had no effect in CB1 receptor knockout mice, which confirmed the implication of CB1 receptors in the activity of the compound. These findings suggest that SR141716 has a potential as a novel anti-obesity treatment.