Obesity, as a major cause of many chronic diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer, is among the most serious health problems. Increased monoamine oxidase (MAO) activity has been observed in the adipose tissue of obese humans and animals. Although previous studies have already demonstrated the potential of MAO-B inhibitors as a treatment for this condition, the mechanism of their effect has been insufficiently elucidated. In this study, we investigated the anti-obesity effect of selegiline, a selective MAO-B inhibitor, using in vivo animal models. The effect was evaluated through an assessment of body energy homeostasis, glucose tolerance tests, and biochemical analysis. Pharmacological inhibition of MAO-B by selegiline was observed to reduce body weight and fat accumulation, and improved glucose metabolism without a corresponding change in food intake, in HFD-fed obese mice. We also observed that both the expression of adipogenenic markers, including C/EBPα and FABP4, and lipogenic markers such as pACC were significantly reduced in epididymal white adipose tissues (eWATs). Conversely, increased expression of lipolytic markers such as ATGL and pHSL and AMPK phosphorylation were noted. Treating obese mice with selegiline significantly increased expression levels of UCP1 and promoted eWAT browning, indicating increased energy expenditure. These results suggest that selegiline, by inhibiting MAO-B activity, is a potential anti-obesity treatment.
Keywords: adipogenesis; anti-obesity; eWAT browning; lipogenesis; lipolysis; selegiline.