Spontaneous Obesity (SO)

Dormice (Glis glis) undergo spontaneous cyclic changes in food intake and body weight. These infradian cycles with a periodicity of about 2 mo are endogenously controlled, since they persist in conditions of constant temperature and photoperiod. To evaluate the role of insulin as an effector of hyperphagia and fattening in dormice, experiments were conducted to study pancreatic function and adipose tissue metabolism during several phases of the infradian cycle. During the weight loss phase, peripheral insulin resistance occurs in the absence of hyperinsulinism. This resistance is not corrected by weight loss.