Compared to sucrose, previous consumption of fructose and glucose monosaccharides reduces survival and fitness of female mice.
BACKGROUND
Intake of added sugar has been shown to correlate with many human metabolic diseases, and rodent models have characterized numerous aspects of the resulting disease phenotypes. However, there is a controversy about whether differential health effects occur because of the consumption of either of the two common types of added sugar-high-fructose corn syrup (fructose and glucose monosaccharides; F/G) or table sugar (sucrose, a fructose and glucose disaccharide).


OBJECTIVE
We tested the equivalence of sucrose- vs. F/G-containing diets on mouse (Mus musculus) longevity, reproductive success, and social dominance.


METHODS
We fed wild-derived mice, outbred mice descended from wild-caught ancestors, a diet in which 25% of the calories came from either an equal ratio of F/G or an isocaloric amount of sucrose (both diets had 63% of total calories as carbohydrates). Exposure lasted 40 wk, starting at weaning (21 d of age), and then mice (104 females and 56 males) were released into organismal performances assays-seminatural enclosures where mice competed for territories, resources, and mates for 32 wk. Within enclosures all mice consumed the F/G diet.


RESULTS
Females initially fed the F/G diet experienced a mortality rate 1.9 times the rate (P = 0.012) and produced 26.4% fewer offspring than females initially fed sucrose (P = 0.001). This reproductive deficiency was present before mortality differences, suggesting the F/G diet was causing physiologic performance deficits prior to mortality. No differential patterns in survival, reproduction, or social dominance were observed in males, indicating a sex-specific outcome of exposure.


CONCLUSIONS
This study provides experimental evidence that the consumption of human-relevant levels of F/G is more deleterious than an isocaloric amount of sucrose for key organism-level health measures in female mice.
Department of Biology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT; j.ruff@utah.edu.
James S
JS
Ruff
Department of Biology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT;
Sara A
SA
Hugentobler
Department of Biology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT; School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ; and.
Amanda K
AK
Suchy
Department of Biology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT;
Mirtha M
MM
Sosa
Department of Biology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT;
Ruth E
RE
Tanner
Department of Biology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT;
Megumi E
ME
Hite
Department of Biology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT;
Linda C
LC
Morrison
Nutrition and Metabolism Center, Children's Hospital Oakland Research Institute, Oakland, CA.
Sin H
SH
Gieng
Nutrition and Metabolism Center, Children's Hospital Oakland Research Institute, Oakland, CA.
Mark K
MK
Shigenaga
Department of Biology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT;
Wayne K
WK
Potts
D000818:Animals; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D004032:Diet; D019422:Dietary Sucrose / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D023381:Endpoint Determination; D002149:Energy Intake; D005260:Female; D005632:Fructose / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005947:Glucose / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005951:Glucose Tolerance Test; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood; D008136:Longevity; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D012098:Reproduction; D012737:Sex Factors; D015430:Weight Gain
D001786:Blood Glucose; D019422:Dietary Sucrose; D007328:Insulin; D005632:Fructose; D005947:Glucose
added sugar; carbohydrate metabolism; fitness assay; fructose; intraspecific competition; sugar; toxicity assessment