This aim of this work is to evaluate diethylpropion (DEP), a phenethylamine like drug used as an anorectic, and different caloric density diets using rats of both sexes. The experiment used 72 Wistar rats distributed by sex blocked by initial weight and separated two by two in 36 experimental cages. The diets and water were permitted ad libitum and attended to animal needs. The high-energy diet had 3,700kcal of metabolizable energy (ME)/kg, the medium energy diet had 3,359kcal ME/kg and the low energy diet had 3,000kcal ME/kg of feed. The drug was administered intraperitonealy daily during 36 days. The statistical analysis considered the effects of the drug, energy of the diet, sex, replicates and the interaction between these factors. There was an interaction between diet and drug (p<0.0195) and the use of the drug reduced only the food intake of low and medium energy diets. An interaction between sex and drug (p<0.0253) showed that the weight gain was reduced in both sexes. We conclude that DEP reduces the weight gain in male and in female rats, with a reduction in fat deposition in both sexes. The percentages of fat reduction were higher on females than on males while the latter had higher deposition of protein on the carcass. DEP was responsible for a reduction on food intake of low and medium energy diets, having no effect on the high energy diet.
Diethylpropion; Diets; Obesity; Fat; Tissue deposition
