Treatment with gut-specific nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug attenuates metabolic inflammation but not body mass in fattening ground squirrels

Abstract

Adiposity and obesity are caused, at least in part, by inflammation of metabolic tissues. Hibernators, like ground squirrels, undergo this same metabolic inflammation during their summer fattening period. We attempted to curb this inflammation, and thus fattening, using mesalazine. We found that mesalazine did curb the inflammation but did not affect fattening, likely due to the strong drive to fatten in hibernators.