The inflammatory profile and liver damage of a sucrose-rich diet in mice.
It is still unclear if an isoenergetic, sucrose-rich diet leads to health consequences.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate the effects of excessive sucrose within an isoenergetic diet on metabolic parameters in male C57BL/6 mice.


METHODS
Animals were fed a control diet (10% fat, 8% sucrose - SC group), a high-sucrose diet (10% fat, 32% sucrose - HSu group), a high-fat diet (42% fat, 8% sucrose - HF group) or a high-fat/high-sucrose diet (42% fat, 32% sucrose - HF/HSu group) for 8 weeks.


RESULTS
Mice fed HF and HF/HSu diets gained more body mass (BM) and more body adiposity than SC- or Hsu-fed mice. Despite the unchanged BM and adiposity indices, HSu mice presented adipocyte hypertrophy, which was also observed in the HF and HF/HSu groups (P<.0001). The HF, HSu and HF/HSu mice were glucose intolerant and had elevated serum insulin levels (P<.05). The levels of leptin, resistin and monocyte chemotactic protein-1 increased, while the serum adiponectin decreased in the HF, HSu and HF/HSu groups (P<.05). In the adipose tissue, the HF, HSu and HF/HSu groups showed higher levels of leptin expression and lower levels of adiponectin expression in comparison with the SC group (P<.05). Liver steatosis was higher in the HF, HSu and HF/HSu groups than in the SC group (P<.0001). Hepatic cholesterol was higher in the HF and HF/HSu groups, while hepatic TG was higher in the HSu and HF/HSu groups (P<.05). In hepatic tissue, the sterol receptor element-binding protein-1c expression was increased in the HF, HSu and HF/HSu groups, unlike the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-alpha expression that decreased in the HF, HSu and HF/HSu groups in comparison with the SC group (P<.05).


CONCLUSIONS
A sucrose-rich diet does not lead to a state of obesity but has the potential to cause changes in the adipocytes (hypertrophy) as well as glucose intolerance, hyperinsulinemia, hyperlipidemia, hepatic steatosis and increases in the number of inflammatory cytokines. The deleterious effects of a sucrose-rich diet in an animal model, even when the sucrose replaces starch isocalorically in the feed, can have far-reaching consequences for health.
Laboratory of Morphometry, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Disease, Biomedical Center, Institute of Biology, State University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Liliane Soares C
LS
Oliveira
Laboratory of Morphometry, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Disease, Biomedical Center, Institute of Biology, State University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Daiane A
DA
Santos
Laboratory of Morphometry, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Disease, Biomedical Center, Institute of Biology, State University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Sandra
S
Barbosa-da-Silva
Laboratory of Morphometry, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Disease, Biomedical Center, Institute of Biology, State University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Carlos A
CA
Mandarim-de-Lacerda
Laboratory of Morphometry, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Disease, Biomedical Center, Institute of Biology, State University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Electronic address: marciaguila@gmail.com.
Marcia B
MB
Aguila
D050154:Adiposity; D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western; D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D007249:Inflammation / Q000378:metabolism*; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D013395:Sucrose / Q000008:administration & dosage*
D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates; D007328:Insulin; D013395:Sucrose
Adipokines; Adipose tissue; High-fat diet; High-sucrose diet; Liver