Localization of gold in mouse brain in relation to gold thioglucose obesity

Abstract

Administration of gold thioglucose led to the development of hyperphagia and obesity in mice; this confirmed findings by previous investigators. By employing neutron activation analysis and radioautography, it was observed that this syndrome was associated with focal accumulation of gold in the hypothalamus. Animals treated with gold thiomalate failed to show any hypothalamic localization of gold radioautographically or any evidence of the syndrome of hyperphagia and obesity. In addition, other foci of gold localization were found in gold thioglucose-treated but not in the gold thiomalate-treated animals. Gamma spectroscopy studies made possible quantitative measurements of the gold content in the brains of both treated groups. Gold thioglucose-treated as well as gold thiomalate-treated animals had appreciable quantities of gold in the brain proper. Phosphorus 32 generated by neutron activation of the sulfur moiety of gold thioglucose proved to be insignificant in its contribution to the radioautographic findings. Implication of the above findings for the glucostatic theory of appetite regulation is discussed.