ABSTRACT
Plasma xanthine oxidoreductase (XOR) activity is high in metabolic disorders such as diabetic mellitus, obesity, or overweight. Thus, this study investigated whether the XOR inhibitor, topiroxostat, affected body weight. Male db/db mice were fed standard diets with or without topiroxostat for 4 weeks. Body weight and food intake were constantly monitored, along with monitoring plasma biochemical markers, including insulin and XOR activity. Additionally, hepatic hypoxanthine and XOR activity were also documented. Single regression analysis was performed to determine the mechanism. Topiroxostat treatment suppressed weight gain relative to the vehicle without any impact on food intake. However, the weight of fat pads and hepatic and muscle triglyceride content did not change. Topiroxostat decreased the plasma uric acid and increased hepatic hypoxanthine in response to the inhibition of XOR activity. Plasma ketone body and free fatty acid were also increased. Moreover, fat weight was weakly associated with plasma XOR activity in the diabetic state and was negatively associated with ketone body by topiroxostat. These results suggested that topiroxostat amplified the burning of lipids and the salvage pathway, resulting in predisposing the body toward catabolism. The inhibition of plasma XOR activity may contribute to weight loss.