PPAR-gamma2 expression in response to cafeteria diet: gender- and depot-specific effects.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the effects of short-term cafeteria (CAF) diet feeding on the expression of adipogenic transcription factors and their association with adiposity.


METHODS
Four-week-old male and female Wistar rats were fed CAF diet or standard chow for 2 weeks. Body weight, energy intake, tissue weights, and serum parameters were determined. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)-gamma2, PPARalpha, CCAAT enhancer-binding protein-alpha, and adipocyte differentiation and determination factor 1 mRNAs in gonadal white adipose tissue (gWAT) (visceral depot) and inguinal white adipose tissue (iWAT) (subcutaneous depot) and in interscapular brown adipose tissue were measured by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction.


RESULTS
Short-term CAF diet feeding resulted in increases in body weight, adipose tissue weights, and lipid serum levels. Increased adiposity was more related to an increase in visceral fat than an increase in subcutaneous fat. This difference was associated with a higher expression of key adipogenic transcription factors (mainly PPARgamma2 and CCAAT enhancer-binding protein-alpha) in gWAT when compared with iWAT. Higher hypertrophy of gWAT was found in females, whereas males showed a higher hypertrophy of iWAT. Differential gender and depot response to CAF diet could be explained by depot and gender differential expression of key adipogenic transcription factors, especially PPARgamma2. Hence, reduced hypertrophy of female iWAT and defective thermogenesis in interscapular brown adipose tissue in response to CAF diet were related to decreased PPARgamma2 mRNA levels, whereas increased hypertrophy in male iWAT and gWAT and in female gWAT was related to a tendency toward increased PPARgamma2 mRNA levels in response to overfeeding.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results suggest the involvement of PPARgamma2 in gender- and depot-specific effects of CAF diet on development and function in adipose tissues.
Laboratori de Biologia Molecular, Nutrició i Biotecnologia, Departament de Biologia Fonamental i Ciències de la Salut, Universitat de les Illes Balears, Cra Valldemossa, Km 7.5. E-07122, Palma de Mallorca, Spain.
Enrique
E
Rodríguez
Joan
J
Ribot
Ana M
AM
Rodríguez
Andreu
A
Palou
D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology; D000818:Animals; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D004032:Diet; D002149:Energy Intake; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D006984:Hypertrophy; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D047495:PPAR gamma / Q000235:genetics*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood
D001786:Blood Glucose; D007328:Insulin; D047495:PPAR gamma; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D014280:Triglycerides; D002784:Cholesterol