Relationship of fat deposition and intestinal microflora in VMH rats

The purpose of this study was to investigate the pathophysiology of the intestinal microflora in the mechanism of fat deposition in hypothalamic obese (VMH) rats. Enterococci of VMH rats decreased 2 weeks after bilateral lesions in the ventromedial hypothalamic nuclei, and significantly decreased at 12 weeks after the lesions were made (P less than 0.01). Lactobacilli increased after 1 week after the lesions. Numbers of enterococci were negatively correlated with fat deposition in the parametrium (P less than 0.01), retroperitoneum (P less than 0.01), and liver (P less than 0.05), and also with Lee's index (P less than 0.02). Lactobacilli were positively correlated with serum glucose (P less than 0.01), fat deposition in the parametrium (P less than 0.02), and Lee's index (P less than 0.05). Enterococci probably decrease the intestinal absorption of cholesterol, and lactobacilli facilitate the absorption of hexose in the intestine, so a decrease in enterococci and increase in lactobacilli caused by hypothalamic lesions may accelerate the pathogenesis of obesity in VMH rats.