Effects of estradiol and progesterone on food intake, body weight, and carcass adiposity in weanling rats.

The effects of estradiol and progesterone on food intake, body weight, carcass adiposity, and adipose tissue lipoprotein lipase (LPL) activity were investigated in weanling female rats. Treatment with estradiol benzoate (EB) reduced body weight gain in ovariectomized (OVX) weanlings as it does in adults. However, other responses to EB were attenuated or absent in weanlings. EB treatment did not reduce food intake, carcass adiposity, or adipose tissue LPL activity. This impaired responsiveness to EB may be due to decreased levels of cytoplasmic estrogen receptors in liver and adipose tissue (but not hypothalamus) in weanlings. On the other hand, responsiveness to progesterone was adultlike in weanlings. Treatment of OVX, EB-primed weanlings with progesterone increased food intake, body weight gain, and carcass adiposity. This adultlike responsiveness to progesterone was associated with adultlike levels of adipose tissue progestin receptors. However, progesterone treatment did not increase adipose tissue LPL activity in weanlings, indicating that changes in LPL activity are not necessary for progesterone-induced obesity.