Sullivan EL, Shearin J, Koegler FH, Cameron JL. Selective estrogen receptor modulator promotes weight loss in ovariectomized female rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) by decreasing food intake and increasing activity. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 302: E759 -E767, 2012. First published January 17, 2012; doi:10.1152/ajpendo.00327.2011.-The effect of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) on body weight in postmenopausal women is controversial, with studies reporting an increase, a decrease, and no change in body weight. To examine estrogen receptor actions on body weight, we investigated the effects of treatment with a selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM) on body weight, food intake, and activity and metabolic rate in a nonhuman primate model. Eighteen ovariectomized female rhesus monkeys were treated with a nonsteroidal SERM (GSK232802A, 5 mg/kg po) for 3 mo. GSK232802A decreased lutenizing hormone (P 辖 0.0001) and follicle-stimulating hormone levels (P 辖 0.0001), consistent with the estrogenic action of the compound. GSK232802A treatment produced a small but sustained weight loss (4.6 袭 1.0%, P 辖 0.0001) and reduced adiposity (P 辖 0.0001), which was due at least in part to a suppression of food intake (3.6 袭 3.7%, P 辖 0.0001). Physical activity increased during the 3rd mo of treatment (P 檄 0.04). Baseline activity level and the change in activity due to treatment were correlated, with the most sedentary individuals exhibiting increased physical activity during the 1st mo of treatment (P 檄 0.02). Metabolic rate did not change (P 檄 0.58). These results indicate that GSK232802A treatment reduces body weight and adiposity in ovariectomized nonhuman primates by suppressing food intake and increasing activity, particularly in the most sedentary individuals. These findings suggest that SERM treatment may counteract weight gain in postmenopausal women.hormone replacement therapy; obesity; menopause; body fat WOMEN GAIN WEIGHT IN ADULTHOOD during the menopausal transition (16,31,45,50,53,56). However, it is unclear whether weight gain is due to age-related changes in metabolism and lifestyle, such as eating more or exercising less, or due to the decrease in ovarian hormones that occurs with menopause. The effects of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) on the body weights of postmenopausal women are controversial. Many women believe that HRT increases body weight, and 18% of hormone replacement users report weight gain as the main reason for discontinuing HRT (63,78). However, the idea that HRT increases body weight is supported by only a few studies (5, 36). The majority of studies report either that postmenopausal women on HRT have lower body weight than nonusers (82, 83) or that HRT decreases (28, 29, 47) or does not affect postmenopausal weight gain (10,84,86,91), and a few studies report that HRT causes weight loss (20). The controversy around the effects of HRT on body weight in postmenopausal women may be related in part to differing effects of the various HRT regimens that are in common use, including differences i...