Histological and Metabolic State of Dams Suckling Small Litter or MSG-Treated Pups.

Lactation is an important function that is dependent on changes in the maternal homeostasis and sustained by histological maternal adjustments. We evaluated how offspring manipulations during the lactational phase can modulate maternal morphologic aspects in the mammary gland, adipose tissue, and pancreatic islets of lactating dams. Two different models of litter-manipulation-during-lactation were used: litter sizes, small litters (SL) or normal litters (NL) and subcutaneous injections in the puppies of monosodium glutamate (MSG), or saline (CON).

Splenectomy attenuates obesity and decreases insulin hypersecretion in hypothalamic obese rats.

Objective: Obesity-induced abnormalities, such as insulin resistance, dyslipidemia and hypertension, are frequently correlated with low-grade inflammation, a process that may depend on normal spleen function. This study investigated the role of the spleen in the obesity induced by monosodium glutamate (MSG) treatment.

Materials/methods: MSG-obese and lean control (CON) rats were subjected to splenectomy (SPL) or non-operated (NO).