title: Effects of high-fat diet on salivary α-amylase, serum parameters and food consumption in rats.
abstract: Salivary α-amylase, a major protein in saliva, has been described as a marker of sympathetic nervous system activity, hence for metabolic energy balance. In this context, its expression in overweight and obesity is of interest. Rats fed with a diet enriched with sunflower oil differentially gained weight yielding two subgroups according to their susceptibility (OP) or resistance (OR) to obesity. Elevated plasmatic levels of leptin in the OP subgroup and altered plasmatic lipid profiles (lower triglycerides and higher total cholesterol/high-density lipoprotein (HDL) ratio compared to controls) in the OR subgroup were observed. Animals from the OP subgroup presented higher α-amylase expression and activity even prior to the dietary treatment, suggesting that this salivary protein may constitute a putative indicator of susceptibility for fat tissue accumulation. After 18 weeks of high-fat diet consumption, salivary α-amylase levels did not significantly change in the OP subgroup, but increased 3-fold in the OR subgroup. The increase in α-amylase levels for the latter might represent an adaptation to lower starch intake. These results suggest that salivary α-amylase secretion might be useful to predict susceptibility for weight gain induced by high-fat diet consumption.
authors: Instituto de Ciências Agrárias e Ambientais Mediterrânicas (ICAAM), Universidade de Évora, 7002-554 Évora, Portugal. Electronic address: lrodrigues-88@hotmail.com.
authors: Lénia
authors: L
authors: Rodrigues
authors: ICAAM, Universidade de Évora, 7002-554 Évora, Portugal. Electronic address: rakymouta@hotmail.com.
authors: Raquel
authors: R
authors: Mouta
authors: ICAAM e Departamento de Química, Escola de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade de Évora, 7002-554 Évora, Portugal. Electronic address: acrc@uevora.pt.
authors: Ana Rodrigues
authors: AR
authors: Costa
authors: ICAAM e Departamento de Zootecnia, Escola de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade de Évora, 7002-554 Évora, Portugal. Electronic address: apereira@uevora.pt.
authors: Alfredo
authors: A
authors: Pereira
authors: ICAAM e Departamento de Biologia, Escola de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade de Évora, 7002-554 Évora, Portugal. Electronic address: fcs@uevora.pt.
authors: Fernando
authors: F
authors: Capela e Silva
authors: Química Orgânica, Produtos Naturais e Agro-Alimentares (QOPNA) e Departamento de Química, Universidade de Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal. Electronic address: famado@ua.pt.
authors: Francisco
authors: F
authors: Amado
authors: Centro de Neurociências e Biologia Celular, Universidade de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal. Electronic address: cmma@uevora.pt.
authors: Célia M
authors: CM
authors: Antunes
authors: ICAAM, Universidade de Évora, 702-554, Évora, Portugal. Electronic address: ecsl@uevora.pt.
authors: Elsa
authors: E
authors: Lamy
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western; D059305:Diet, High-Fat; D002149:Energy Intake; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood*; D009765:Obesity / Q000201:enzymology*; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D055291:Salivary alpha-Amylases / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D008055:Lipids; D055291:Salivary alpha-Amylases
keywords: High-fat diet; Leptin; Rats; Salivary amylase; Weight gain