title: Dietary vitamin A supplementation in rats: suppression of leptin and induction of UCP1 mRNA.
abstract: All-trans-retinoic acid (RA), an active metabolite of vitamin A, induces the gene expression of uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) in brown adipose tissue (BAT) and suppresses leptin gene expression in white adipose tissue (WAT) when given as an acute dose. These contrasting effects of RA leave in doubt the overall effect of chronic RA or vitamin A supplementation on energy homeostasis. To investigate the effects of dietary vitamin A supplementation on leptin and UCP1 gene expression, rats were fed either a normal diet (2.6 retinol/kg diet) or a vitamin A-supplemented diet (129 mg retinol/kg diet) for 8 weeks, and adiposity, serum leptin levels, leptin mRNA levels in perirenal WAT, UCP1 and UCP2 mRNA levels in BAT, and beta3-adrenergic receptor mRNA levels in BAT and WAT were examined. Rats on both diets gained a similar amount of weight, but there was a small 9% decrease in the adiposity index in the vitamin A-supplemented rats. Dietary vitamin A supplementation increased UCP1 gene expression in BAT by 31%, but suppressed leptin gene expression by 44% and serum leptin levels by 65%. UCP2 and beta3-adrenergic receptor gene expression in BAT and perirenal WAT were unchanged by the vitamin A diet. These data suggest that dietary vitamin A has a role in regulating energy homeostasis by enhancing UCP1 gene expression and decreasing serum leptin levels.
authors.affiliation: Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center, Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Gainesville, FL 32608-1197, USA.
authors.forename: M V
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.forename: G D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Sunvold
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Scarpace
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D002001:Adipose Tissue, Brown / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D007473:Ion Channels; D020738:Leptin; D008297:Male; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; D024101:Mitochondrial Proteins; D015345:Oligonucleotide Probes / Q000235:genetics; D011506:Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics*; D051381:Rats; D011914:Rats, Inbred BN; D011916:Rats, Inbred F344; D011943:Receptors, Adrenergic, beta / Q000235:genetics; D022702:Receptors, Adrenergic, beta-3; D014475:Uncoupling Agents / Q000378:metabolism; D000071256:Uncoupling Protein 1; D000071246:Uncoupling Protein 2; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000008:administration & dosage*
chemical_list: D002352:Carrier Proteins; D007473:Ion Channels; D020738:Leptin; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; D024101:Mitochondrial Proteins; D015345:Oligonucleotide Probes; D011506:Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011943:Receptors, Adrenergic, beta; D022702:Receptors, Adrenergic, beta-3; C000604373:Ucp1 protein, rat; C000604391:Ucp2 protein, rat; D014475:Uncoupling Agents; D000071256:Uncoupling Protein 1; D000071246:Uncoupling Protein 2; D014801:Vitamin A