Regular tart cherry intake alters abdominal adiposity, adipose gene transcription, and inflammation in obesity-prone rats fed a high fat diet.
Obesity, systemic inflammation, and hyperlipidemia are among the components of metabolic syndrome, a spectrum of phenotypes that can precede the development of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Animal studies show that intake of anthocyanin-rich extracts can affect these phenotypes. Anthocyanins can alter the activity of tissue peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs), which affect energy substrate metabolism and inflammation. However, it is unknown if physiologically relevant, anthocyanin-containing whole foods confer similar effects to concentrated, anthocyanin extracts. The effect of anthocyanin-rich tart cherries was tested in the Zucker fatty rat model of obesity and metabolic syndrome. For 90 days, rats were pair-fed a higher fat diet supplemented with either 1% (wt/wt) freeze-dried, whole tart cherry powder or with a calorie- and macronutrient-matched control diet. Tart cherry intake was associated with reduced hyperlipidemia, percentage fat mass, abdominal fat (retroperitoneal) weight, retroperitoneal interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) expression, and plasma IL-6 and TNF-alpha. Tart cherry diet also increased retroperitoneal fat PPAR-alpha and PPAR-gamma mRNA (P = .12), decreased IL-6 and TNF-alpha mRNA, and decreased nuclear factor kappaB activity. In conclusion, in at-risk obese rats fed a high fat diet, physiologically relevant tart cherry consumption reduced several phenotypes of metabolic syndrome and reduced both systemic and local inflammation. Tart cherries may reduce the degree or trajectory of metabolic syndrome, thereby reducing risk for the development of type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
Michigan Integrative Medicine Program and Section of Cardiac Surgery, University of Michigan Health System, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA.
E M
EM
Seymour
Sarah K
SK
Lewis
Daniel E
DE
Urcuyo-Llanes
Ignasia I
II
Tanone
Ara
A
Kirakosyan
Peter B
PB
Kaufman
Steven F
SF
Bolling
D050153:Abdominal Fat / Q000187:drug effects; D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000187:drug effects; D000818:Animals; D000872:Anthocyanins / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004041:Dietary Fats; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D005638:Fruit; D006949:Hyperlipidemias / Q000178:diet therapy / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007249:Inflammation / Q000178:diet therapy; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000178:diet therapy* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D009765:Obesity / Q000178:diet therapy* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D056128:Obesity, Abdominal / Q000178:diet therapy* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D047493:PPAR alpha / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D047495:PPAR gamma / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008517:Phytotherapy; D028321:Plant Preparations / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011208:Powders; D027861:Prunus / Q000737:chemistry*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D011924:Rats, Zucker; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
D000872:Anthocyanins; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D004041:Dietary Fats; D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents; D015850:Interleukin-6; D047493:PPAR alpha; D047495:PPAR gamma; D028321:Plant Preparations; D011208:Powders; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha