Postweaning low-calcium diet promotes later-life obesity induced by a high-fat diet.
The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of a postweaning low-calcium diet on later obesity and explore the underlying mechanisms. Ninety-six male rats were weaned at 3 weeks of age, fed standard (STD: 0.50% calcium, n=48) and low-calcium (LC: 0.15% calcium, n=48) diets for 3 weeks, and then fed the standard diet for a 3-week washout period successively. Finally, the STD rats were divided into STD control and high-fat diet (HFD) groups, and the LC ones into LC control and LC+HFD (LCHF) groups. The STD and LC rats were fed the standard diet, while the HFD control and LCFD ones were fed a high-fat diet for 6 weeks to induce obesity. During the three feeding periods, adenosine-monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and its responsive proteins phospho-acetyl-coA carboxylase, carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1 and uncoupling protein 3 were persistently down-regulated in the LC group (decreased by 18%, 24%, 18% and 20%, respectively) versus the STD group, and these effects were significantly more pronounced in the LCHFD group (decreased by 21%, 30%, 23% and 25%, respectively) than the HFD group by a later high-fat stimuli, causing more fat and body weight in adulthood. However, lipolysis enzymes, serum leptin, insulin and lipids were not significantly affected until the body weight and fat content changed at 15 weeks of age. The results suggest that the low-calcium diet after weaning promotes rat adult-onset obesity induced by high-fat diet, which might be achieved by programming expressions of genes involved in AMPK pathway.
Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, Public Health College, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, 150081, China.
Yong-Han
YH
He
Song-Tao
ST
Li
Yan-Yan
YY
Wang
Guan
G
Wang
Ying
Y
He
Xi-Lu
XL
Liao
Chang-Hao
CH
Sun
Ying
Y
Li
D055372:AMP-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D000103:Acetyl-CoA Carboxylase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D015153:Blotting, Western; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D002136:Calcium, Dietary / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002334:Carnitine O-Palmitoyltransferase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D059305:Diet, High-Fat / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000008:administration & dosage; D015536:Down-Regulation; D002149:Energy Intake; D064429:Fatty Acid Synthases / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood; D007473:Ion Channels / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D020738:Leptin / Q000097:blood; D008049:Lipase / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D008055:Lipids; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D024101:Mitochondrial Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000378:metabolism; D009765:Obesity / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D002787:Sterol Esterase / Q000032:analysis; D000071247:Uncoupling Protein 3; D014886:Weaning; D000217:Acyltransferases
D055372:AMP-Activated Protein Kinases; D000103:Acetyl-CoA Carboxylase; D001786:Blood Glucose; D002136:Calcium, Dietary; D002334:Carnitine O-Palmitoyltransferase; D004041:Dietary Fats; D064429:Fatty Acid Synthases; D007328:Insulin; D007473:Ion Channels; D020738:Leptin; D008049:Lipase; D008055:Lipids; D024101:Mitochondrial Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D002787:Sterol Esterase; D000071247:Uncoupling Protein 3; C000604394:Ucp3 protein, rat; C571275:PNPLA2 protein, rat; D000217:Acyltransferases