FIGURE 3.

Leptin levels in VSL#3-administered mice and effects of VSL#3 on obesity and diabetes in Lep^ob/ob mice. a and b, leptin levels upon VSL#3 treatment in the preventive (a) and therapeutic model (b). c, VSL#3 enhanced Stat3 phosphorylation in the hypothalamus of HFD-fed mice in comparison with HFD control mice. d, expression levels of food intake regulatory genes, i.e. AgRP, NpY, and POMC, were significantly modulated in the hypothalamus of VSL#3-treated mice compared with their control mice. e and f, Lep^ob/ob mice administered VSL#3 exhibited a significant reduction in body weight gain (e) and fat mass (f) compared with Lep^ob/ob mice not fed VSL#3. g and h, improved glucose tolerance tests (g) and insulin tolerance tests (h) in VSL#3-treated Lep^ob/ob mice compared with Lep^ob/ob mice not fed VSL#3. i, hepatic fat accumulation was substantially decreased in VSL#3-treated Lep^ob/ob mice. j, VSL#3-fed Lep^ob/ob mice exhibited decreased food intake. The values presented here represent the mean ± S.E. for each group. Values indicated with asterisks are significantly different at the level of: *, p < 0.05; **, p < 0.001; and ***, p < 0.0001.