title: Long-term feeding on powdered food causes hyperglycemia and signs of systemic illness in mice.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Dietary habits are crucial factors affecting metabolic homeostasis. However, few animal experiments have addressed the effects of long-term feeding with soft food on parameters reflecting systemic health.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using mice, we compared the effects of short (3 days) and long (17 weeks from weaning) feeding periods between powdered food and normal pellet food on the levels of blood glucose, serum levels of insulin, catecholamines, and corticosterone, blood pressure, and/or social interaction behaviors. In addition, the effects of a human glucagon-like peptide-1 analog, liraglutide (a new drug with protective effects against neuronal and cardiovascular diseases), were compared between the powder and pellet groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  (i) Powdered food, even for such a short period, resulted in a greater glycemic response than pellet food, consistent with powdered food being more easily digested and absorbed. (ii) Long-term feeding on powdered food induced hyperglycemia and related systemic signs of illness, including increases in serum adrenaline, noradrenaline, and corticosterone, higher blood pressures (especially diastolic), and increased social interaction behaviors. (iii) Liraglutide, when administered subcutaneously for the last 2 weeks of the 17-week period of feeding, improved these changes (including those in social interaction behaviors).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The hyperglycemia associated with long-term powdered-food feeding may lead to certain systemic illness signs, such as elevations of blood glucose, hypertension, and abnormal behaviors in mice. Mastication of food of adequate hardness may be very important for the maintenance of systemic (physical and mental) health, possibly via reduction in the levels of blood glucose and/or adrenal stress hormones (catecholamines and glucocorticoids).
authors.affiliation: Divisions of Aging and Geriatric Dentistry, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8575, Japan. Electronic address: tsuchiya-thk@umin.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Masahiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tsuchiya
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Tohoku Pharmaceutical University, Sendai 981-8558, Japan.
authors.forename: Fukie
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Niijima-Yaoita
authors.affiliation: Advanced Prosthetic Dentistry, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8575, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yoneda
authors.affiliation: Divisions of Aging and Geriatric Dentistry, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8575, Japan.
authors.forename: Ko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Chiba
authors.affiliation: Oral Dysfunction Science, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8575, Japan; Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8575, Japan.
authors.forename: Shinobu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tsuchiya
authors.affiliation: Oral Dysfunction Science, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8575, Japan; Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8575, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshihiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hagiwara
authors.affiliation: Advanced Prosthetic Dentistry, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8575, Japan.
authors.forename: Keiichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sasaki
authors.affiliation: Oral Immunology, Graduate School of Dentistry, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8575, Japan.
authors.forename: Shunji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sugawara
authors.affiliation: Oral Immunology, Graduate School of Dentistry, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8575, Japan.
authors.forename: Yasuo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Endo
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Tohoku Pharmaceutical University, Sendai 981-8558, Japan.
authors.forename: Koichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tan-No
authors.affiliation: Divisions of Aging and Geriatric Dentistry, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8575, Japan.
authors.forename: Makoto
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Watanabe
mesh_terms: D000311:Adrenal Glands / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D002319:Cardiovascular System / Q000503:physiopathology; D002395:Catecholamines / Q000097:blood; D004032:Diet; D057141:Food, Preserved / Q000009:adverse effects*; D052216:Glucagon-Like Peptide 1 / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D006304:Health Status; D006943:Hyperglycemia / Q000209:etiology*; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood; D000069450:Liraglutide; D008297:Male; D008409:Mastication / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D023421:Models, Animal; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism; D011208:Powders
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D002395:Catecholamines; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents; D007328:Insulin; D011208:Powders; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D000069450:Liraglutide; D052216:Glucagon-Like Peptide 1
keywords: Dietary habit; Glycemic homeostasis; Mastication