1 research outputs found
Effects of an high-fat diet enriched in lard or in fish oil on the hypothalamic amp-activated protein kinase and inflammatory mediators
The high fat diet (HFD) rich in lard induces obesity, inflammation and oxidative
stress, and the deregulation of hypothalamic nuclei plays an important role in this
mechanism. One important factor involved in the food intake and inflammation
is adenosine monophosphate-dependent kinase (AMPK), a serine/threonine kinase
activated by phosphorylation. Omega (&)3-polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) are
dietary compounds known to attenuate the obesity-related diseases, although the
molecular mechanisms underlying their actions in the hypothalamus are not completely
understood. We hypothesized that the beneficial effects of PUFA may be mediated
by AMPK in the hypothalamus. To this aim, rats were fed a control diet (CD), or
isocaloric HFD containing either fish oil (FD; rich in &3-PUFA) or lard (LD) for 6
weeks, and the activation of AMPK, inflammatory state (IKKb, TNF-a) and oxidative
stress were analyzed in the hypothalamus. In addition, we also studied serum
lipid profile, homeostatic model assessment (HOMA) index, and pro-inflammatory
parameters. Our results showed, at the hypothalamic level of LD-fed rats, an increase
of AMPK activation, inflammation and oxidative stress, while no modifications were
detected in FD-fed animals compared to CD. In addition body weight gain, serum
lipid profile, pro-inflammatory parameters and insulin resistance were reduced in FD
animals compared to LD. In conclusion, our data indicate that the substitution of
saturated by unsaturated fatty acids in the diet has beneficial effects on modulation
of hypothalamic inflammation and function in obesity, underlying, at hypothalamic
level, the interaction among insulin and/or leptin resistance, AMPK activation and
hyperphagia