title: Improving glucose tolerance by reducing weight gain in a polygenic obese mouse model: use of a high protein diet.
abstract: Diets to decrease body weight have limited success in achieving and importantly maintaining this weight loss long-term. It has recently been suggested that energy intake can be regulated by the amount of protein ingested, termed the protein leverage hypothesis. In this study, we determined whether a high protein diet would be effective in achieving and maintaining weight loss in a genetically obese model, the New Zealand Obese (NZO) mouse. NZO and C57BL/6J (C57) control mice were fed a high protein or chow diet for 5 weeks from weaning (3 weeks of age). Body weight and food intake were determined. Mice on the same diet were bred to produce offspring that were fed either a chow or high protein diet. Body weight, food intake, and glucose tolerance were determined. Feeding NZO and C57 mice a high protein diet for 5 weeks resulted in reduced food intake and consequently energy intake and body weight gain compared with mice on a chow diet. NZO mice fed a high protein diet showed a significant improvement in glucose tolerance compared with their chow-fed counterparts, while no difference was seen in C57 mice fed chow or protein diet. The offspring of NZO mice that were fed a high protein diet during gestation and weaning were also lighter and displayed improved glucose tolerance compared with chow fed animals. We conclude that a high protein diet is a reasonable strategy to reduce body weight gain and improve glucose tolerance in the NZO mouse, a polygenic model of obesity.
authors.affiliation: The University of Melbourne, Department of Medicine (Austin Health), Austin Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Blair
authors.affiliation: The University of Melbourne, Department of Medicine (Austin Health), Austin Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Strube
authors.affiliation: The University of Melbourne, Department of Medicine (Austin Health), Austin Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Proietto
authors.affiliation: The University of Melbourne, Department of Medicine (Austin Health), Austin Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Andrikopoulos
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism*; D004044:Dietary Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D005951:Glucose Tolerance Test; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008820:Mice, Obese; D009765:Obesity / Q000178:diet therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology*; D015430:Weight Gain
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D004044:Dietary Proteins