title: Reduction of body weight, liver steatosis and expression of stearoyl-CoA desaturase 1 by the isoflavone daidzein in diet-induced obesity.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The lack of safe and effective treatments for obesity has increased interest in natural products that may serve as alternative therapies. From this perspective, we have analysed the effects of daidzein, one of the main soy isoflavones, on diet-induced obesity in rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  Rats made obese after exposure to a very (60%) high fat-content diet were treated with daidzein (50 mg·kg(-1)) for 14 days. The dose was selected on the basis of the acute effects of this isoflavone on a feeding test. After 14 days, animals were killed and plasma, white and brown adipose tissue, muscle and liver studied for the levels and expression of metabolites, proteins and genes relevant to lipid metabolism.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A single treatment (acute) with daidzein dose-dependently reduced food intake. Chronic treatment (daily for 14 days) reduced weight gain and fat content in liver, accompanied by high leptin and low adiponectin levels in plasma. While skeletal muscle was weakly affected by treatment, both adipose tissue and liver displayed marked changes after treatment with daidzein, affecting transcription factors and lipogenic enzymes, particularly stearoyl coenzyme A desaturase 1, a pivotal enzyme in obesity. Expression of uncoupling protein 1, an important enzyme for thermogenesis, was increased in brown adipose tissue after daidzein treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results support the use of isoflavones in diet-induced obesity, especially when hepatic steatosis is present and open a new field of use for these natural products.
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Medicina Regenerativa, Hospital Carlos Haya, Fundación IMABIS, Pabellón de Gobierno, Málaga, Spain.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Crespillo
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Alonso
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vida
authors.forename: F J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Pavón
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Serrano
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rivera
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Romero-Zerbo
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Fernández-Llebrez
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Martínez
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Pérez-Valero
authors.forename: F J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Bermúdez-Silva
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Suárez
authors.forename: F R
authors.initials: FR
authors.lastname: de Fonseca
mesh_terms: D000103:Acetyl-CoA Carboxylase / Q000378:metabolism; D042962:Acyl-CoA Oxidase / Q000378:metabolism; D052242:Adiponectin / Q000097:blood; D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D052436:Adipose Tissue, White / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D019440:Anti-Obesity Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D059305:Diet, High-Fat; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004435:Eating / Q000187:drug effects; D064429:Fatty Acid Synthases / Q000378:metabolism; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood; D007529:Isoflavones / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D020738:Leptin / Q000097:blood; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D009765:Obesity / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D047493:PPAR alpha / Q000378:metabolism; D047495:PPAR gamma / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013230:Stearoyl-CoA Desaturase / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D052242:Adiponectin; D019440:Anti-Obesity Agents; D007328:Insulin; D007529:Isoflavones; D020738:Leptin; D047493:PPAR alpha; D047495:PPAR gamma; C004742:daidzein; D013230:Stearoyl-CoA Desaturase; D042962:Acyl-CoA Oxidase; D064429:Fatty Acid Synthases; D000103:Acetyl-CoA Carboxylase