title: Exposure to common food additive carrageenan alone leads to fasting hyperglycemia and in combination with high fat diet exacerbates glucose intolerance and hyperlipidemia without effect on weight.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Major aims were to determine whether exposure to the commonly used food additive carrageenan could induce fasting hyperglycemia and could increase the effects of a high fat diet on glucose intolerance and dyslipidemia.
  
  
  METHODS
  C57BL/6J mice were exposed to either carrageenan, high fat diet, or the combination of high fat diet and carrageenan, or untreated, for one year. Effects on fasting blood glucose, glucose tolerance, lipid parameters, weight, glycogen stores, and inflammation were compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Exposure to carrageenan led to glucose intolerance by six days and produced elevated fasting blood glucose by 23 weeks. Effects of carrageenan on glucose tolerance were more severe than from high fat alone. Carrageenan in combination with high fat produced earlier onset of fasting hyperglycemia and higher glucose levels in glucose tolerance tests and exacerbated dyslipidemia. In contrast to high fat, carrageenan did not lead to weight gain. In hyperinsulinemic, euglycemic clamp studies, the carrageenan-exposed mice had higher early glucose levels and lower glucose infusion rate and longer interval to achieve the steady-state.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Carrageenan in the Western diet may contribute to the development of diabetes and the effects of high fat consumption. Carrageenan may be useful as a nonobese model of diabetes in the mouse.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612-4325, USA ; Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60612-3728, USA.
authors.forename: Sumit
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bhattacharyya
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612-4325, USA ; Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60612-3728, USA.
authors.forename: Leo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Feferman
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612-4325, USA ; Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60612-3728, USA.
authors.forename: Terry
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Unterman
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612-4325, USA ; Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60612-3728, USA.
authors.forename: Joanne K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Tobacman
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D001835:Body Weight; D002351:Carrageenan / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000737:chemistry; D004032:Diet; D059305:Diet, High-Fat; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D050171:Dyslipidemias / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D005503:Food Additives / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000737:chemistry; D005508:Food Deprivation; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism*; D005951:Glucose Tolerance Test; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin / Q000378:metabolism; D006003:Glycogen / Q000378:metabolism; D006943:Hyperglycemia / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000378:metabolism*; D006949:Hyperlipidemias / Q000139:chemically induced*; D007249:Inflammation; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D002351:Carrageenan; D005503:Food Additives; D005947:Glucose; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin; D006003:Glycogen; D008055:Lipids