Adiponectin is involved in the protective effect of DHEA against metabolic risk in aged rats.
The aim of the present work was to analyze the effect of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) on several metabolic risk factors, including cardiovascular health and insulin resistance, in aged rats submitted to a high-fat diet. For that, weaned rats were fed on a high-fat diet until 20 months of age. In the last 13 weeks of life, a group (n=11) received the diet supplemented with DHEA (0.5%, w/w), serving the rest (n=10) as controls. Body weight, body fat, serum lipids (triglycerides, total cholesterol and non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA)), HOMA index, n-6/n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) ratios, serum adiponectin, leptin, resistin and TNF-alpha, as well as adiponectin expression in adipose tissue, were measured. A stepwise discriminant test was used to analyze these variables, and an index of overall metabolic risk was generated from them. DHEA treatment resulted in a significantly lower overall metabolic risk index, as generated by the discriminant test (P<0.01). The DHEA group had lower body fat and n-6/n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) ratios than the control group (P<0.01), and the same trends were observed for serum cholesterol, triglycerides and HOMA index; in contrast, adiponectin expression in adipose tissue increased in DHEA-treated rats (P<0.05). The discriminant analysis revealed that adiponectin, both from serum and adipose tissue, was the most influencing factor, followed by n-6/n-3 ratios in adipose tissue, and by body fat. Our results then suggest that adiponectin is involved in the protective effect of DHEA against metabolic risk demonstrated in the present work.
Department of Physiology, University of Murcia, Paseo Rector Sabater s/n, Campus de Espinardo, 30100 Murcia, Spain.
Fátima
F
Pérez-de-Heredia
Juana
J
Sánchez
Teresa
T
Priego
Francisco
F
Nicolás
María Del Puy
Mdel P
Portillo
Andreu
A
Palou
Salvador
S
Zamora
Marta
M
Garaulet
D052242:Adiponectin / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D003687:Dehydroepiandrosterone / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005215:Fasting; D005230:Fatty Acids, Nonesterified / Q000032:analysis; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3 / Q000097:blood; D043371:Fatty Acids, Omega-6 / Q000097:blood; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D006706:Homeostasis; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood; D007333:Insulin Resistance / Q000502:physiology; D020738:Leptin / Q000032:analysis; D020011:Protective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D052243:Resistin / Q000032:analysis; D012307:Risk Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000032:analysis
D052242:Adiponectin; D001786:Blood Glucose; D004041:Dietary Fats; D005230:Fatty Acids, Nonesterified; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3; D043371:Fatty Acids, Omega-6; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated; D007328:Insulin; D020738:Leptin; D020011:Protective Agents; D052243:Resistin; D014280:Triglycerides; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D003687:Dehydroepiandrosterone; D002784:Cholesterol