Figure 1.

Inorganic nitrate reduced body weight gain and adipose tissue weight. (A) The experimental process. After acclimation of mice to the new living environment for 1 week, drinking water was supplemented with 2 mM NaNO₃ or 2 mM NaCl. One week after treatment via drinking water, mice were changed to a HFD (45 kcal%). Mice were then divided into four groups according to drinking and feeding treatments, which were administered for the next 20 weeks, as follows: the NCD group (given normal water and diet), the HFD group (given normal water and a HFD), the HFD+NaNO₃ group (given water containing 2 mM NaNO₃ and an HFD), and the HFD+NaCl group (given water containing 2 mM NaCl and an HFD). (B) The body weight was recorded every week and presented in the graph. (C) The general appearance of experimental mice at the end of the study. (D) The body weight gain rate was calculated after the experiment. (E) Photographs of abdominal adipose tissue taken after dissection. (F–H, F’–H’) Subcutaneous inguinal adipose tissue and visceral adipose tissue, including mesentery adipose and perirenal adipose tissue, were weighed, and the ratio of adipose weight to body weight was calculated. Values are presented as mean±SEM (n=10), *<0.05, **<0.01, ***p<0.001. BW, body weight; HFD, high-fat diet; NCD, normal control diet; NS, not significant.