Ashall, Frank (PhD)Matheos, Tigist2018-06-242023-11-292018-06-242023-11-292016-02http://etd.aau.edu.et/handle/123456789/2999Introduction: Obesity results from environmental and genetic factors and is rapidly growing public health problem with its leading co-morbidity type 2 diabetes. Great emphasis has been put on establishing treatments for obesity, including pharmacological intervention using animal models of obesity. Objective: To develop an obesity model in Swiss albino mice using a high fat diet, that is feasible and affordable in Ethiopia, and to assess the effect of resveratrol, metformin and Eucalyptus oil on body weights, visceral fat deposition liver histology, serum glucose, lipid profiles and liver function tests in these mice. Methods: Male Swiss albino mice were fed a normal chow diet, high fat diet (52% fat, w/w) containing lard made from choma (crude beef fat), a high fat diet with resveratrol (75 μg/ml) in the drinking water for 12 weeks, a high fat diet with intraperitoneal metformin injections (250 mg/kg/day) and a high fat diet with Eucalyptus oil (10μL/mouse/day) administered intraperitoneally for 8 weeks. Body weight, visceral fat mass, blood glucose, serum lipid profiles, serum liver enzymes, and liver histopathology were assessed. . Results: The high fat diet did not cause significant changes in total body weight of mice, but there was significantly more visceral fat deposition as large fat pads in mice fed a high fat diet for 12 weeks (1140.0 ± 248.8 mg, as compared with 66.5 ± 27.6 mg in normal diet fed mice) and also in mice fed a high fat diet for 8 weeks (862.4±148.7 mg, as compared with 611.7 ±178.3 mg for mice fed a normal diet). The high fat diet did not induce any obvious prediabetic or diabetic state and did not raise fasting blood glucose level above the normal range. Resveratrol administration to Swiss albino mice fed a high fat diet did not cause any significant effect on body weight, visceral fat mass, fasting blood glucose, liver enzymes, or serum lipid profile. Treatment with metformin did not have any significant effect on body weight, fasting blood glucose level, visceral fat mass, serum liver enzymes, serum total cholesterol level or serum triglyceride level, but metformin significantly increased serum HDL level, and decreased serum LDL level, and raised serum AST level. Eucalyptus oil did not have any significant effect on body weight and visceral fat mass, serum ALT level, serum ALP level, serum total cholesterol and on serum triglyceride level, but it significantly lowered serum LDL levels and raised serum HDL level, as well as weakly increasing serum AST. Eucalyptus oil also lowered blood glucose levels even though they were within the normal range to begin with. Conclusion: The high-fat lard diet developed in a Swiss albino mouse model may be a useful model for visceral obesity, but, without modification, was not a model for prediabetes or diabetes. Resveratrol had no effect on body weight, fat deposition and metabolic profiles. Metformin caused elevation of HDL and lowering of serum LDL. Eucalyptus oil lowered fasting blood glucose and serum LDL levels and it elevated serum HDL levels. The significance of these findings are discussed. Keywords: Obesity, High fat diet, AMPK, Resveratrol, Metformin, Eucalyptus oilenObesity; High fat diet; AMPK; Resveratrol; Metformin; Eucalyptus oilThesis