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The obesogenic effects of polyunsaturated fatty acids are dependent ...

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gluconeogenesis and ureagenesis (Fig.5E). On the other hand, inhibition <strong>of</strong> insulin secretion by<br />

nifedipine did achieve the expected fat mass-reducing effect (Fig.6C)<br />

.<br />

Discussion, perspectives<br />

Low carbohydrate, high protein diet<br />

It has been suggested that a modest increase in protein ingestion combined with a low glycemic<br />

index diet could be protective against obesity in children 39 . Further, as reported in a recent large<br />

European cohort study, after an initial weight loss, a diet with lower glycemic index and higher<br />

protein content is most ideal for maintaining body weight and preventing weight regain 40 . When<br />

consuming a diet very low in carbohydrates, such as in the case <strong>of</strong> our protein-enriched mouse feed<br />

with only 8% <strong>of</strong> calories from carbohydrates, the animals need to mobilize liver glycogen storage<br />

and increase gluconeogenesis in order to sustain blood glucose levels. After feeding for a long<br />

period <strong>of</strong> time, glycogen will be exhausted, and the body will have to turn to other energy sources.<br />

Even in the fed state, these protein-fed mice still kept high rates <strong>of</strong> β-oxidation, indicated by the<br />

high circulating levels <strong>of</strong> 2-hydroxybutyrate (Annex 1Fig.5B (1.5B)), suggesting the need to<br />

mobilize fat and/or protein for basal metabolism. This situation, to a certain degree, mimics what<br />

has been observed in long term fasting. During starvation, following the decrease <strong>of</strong> circulating<br />

glucose, insulin levels drop dramatically and glucagon secretion is elevated. Although<br />

gluconeogenesis contributes partially to the blood glucose supply, it will be prioritized for central<br />

nervous system and red blood cells functions.<br />

Despite the protein-fed mice kept lean as their low fat diet-fed littermates, they showed the same<br />

degree <strong>of</strong> glucose intolerance as the obese ones on sucrose-enriched diet. If our analogy to fasting is<br />

accurate, the glucose intolerance we have observed in lean protein-fed mice can be delineated. As<br />

fasting reduced insulin secretion in rats, this repression can only be rescued by refeeding with diets<br />

high in carbohydrates 41 . Although no difference was observed in the insulin tolerance test (Fig<br />

1.s1B), there <strong>are</strong> reports both in rats and humans showing that consuming low carbohydrate, high<br />

protein diet can attenuate the suppression <strong>of</strong> hepatic glucose output by insulin 42,43 . In order to<br />

11

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