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Figure 1. Study design for screening and validating candidate skeletal muscle genes implicated in the adipose-specific suppression of thermogenesis using a previously described rat model of semistarvation-refeeding in which the accelerated fat recovery (catch-up fat) results only from suppressed thermogenesis, i.e., not from confounding effects of hyperphagia or lower lean body mass or protein mass. In this particular study in 6-wk-old male Sprague-Dawley rats at start of study, energy balance and body composition measurements were determined over 3 successive periods of 1 wk each during course of refeeding and comparisons made with controls matched for weight at onset of refeeding. Acceleration of fat deposition but not that of protein deposition (i.e., preferential catch-up fat) is attributed to diminished energy expenditure (suppressed thermogenesis) that lasts for 
2 wk. Skeletal muscle was harvested, namely at end of 2 wk semistarvation period, i.e., at onset of refeeding (RF-0) and after 1 wk of refeeding (RF-7). All values are means and SE. (n=6); **P < 0.01; ***P < 0.001.
