We established a new animal model called SPORTS (Spontaneously‐Running Tokushima‐Shikoku) rats, which show high‐epinephrine (Epi) levels. Recent reports show that Epi activates adenosine monophosphate (AMP)–activated protein kinase (AMPK) in adipocytes. Acetyl‐CoA carboxylase (ACC) is the rate‐limiting enzyme in fatty acid synthesis, and the enzymatic activity is suppressed when its Ser‐79 is phosphorylated by AMPK. The aim of this study was to investigate the in vivo effect of Epi on ACC and abdominal visceral fat accumulation. We divided both 6‐week male control and SPORTS rats into two groups, which were fed either normal diet or high fat and sucrose (HFS) diet for 16 weeks. At the end of diet treatment, retroperitoneal fat was collected for western blotting and histological analysis. Food intake was not different among the groups, but SPORTS rats showed significantly lower weight gain than control rats in both diet groups. After 10 weeks of diet treatment, glucose tolerance tests (GTTs) revealed that SPORTS rats had increased insulin sensitivity. Furthermore, SPORTS rats had lower quantities of both abdominal fat and plasma triglyceride (TG). In abdominal fat, elevated ACC Ser‐79 phosphorylation was observed in SPORTS rats and suppressed by an antagonist of β‐adrenergic receptor (AR), propranolol, or an inhibitor of AMPK, Compound C. From these results, high level of Epi induced ACC phosphorylation mediated through β‐AR and AMPK signaling pathways in abdominal visceral fat of SPORTS rats, which may contribute to reduce abdominal visceral fat accumulation and increase insulin sensitivity. Our results suggest that β‐AR‐regulated ACC activity would be a target for treating lifestyle‐related diseases, such as obesity.

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Studies that investigate the underlying mechanisms of disease and treatment options typically require the use of a suitable animal model. Few suitable animal models exist for left atrial thrombosis. Here, we demonstrated that the Spontaneously-Running-Tokushima-Shikoku (SPORTS) rat — a Wistar strain known for its running ability—is predisposed to the development of thrombi in the left atrium. We investigated the incidence of left atrial thrombosis in male (n = 16) and female (n = 17) SPORTS rats and observed organized atrial thrombosis in 57% and 38% of males and female rats, respectively. In the male rats, systolic blood pressures and heart rates were significantly higher in SPORTS rats than in control Wistar rats. We could not find any evidence of arrhythmias, such as atrial fibrillation, during electrocardiographic examination of SPORTS rats. We believe that the SPORTS rat could serve as a new research model for left atrial thrombosis; further, it may be suitable for research investigating the development of new antithrombotic approaches for the control of atrial thrombosis or familial thrombophilia in humans.