title: Effects of cereal fiber on leptin resistance and sensitivity in C57BL/6J mice fed a high-fat/cholesterol diet.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cereal fiber is reported to be associated with obesity and metabolic diseases. However, whether cereal fiber improves leptin resistance and sensitivity remains unclear.
  
  
  METHODS
  For 24 weeks, 48 male C57BL/6J mice were randomly given a normal chow diet (Chow), high-fat/cholesterol diet (HFD), HFD with 0.8% oat fiber (H-oat) or HFD with 0.8% wheat bran fiber (H-wheat). At the end of feeding period, both the serum insulin and leptin levels were determined by ELISA kits. Western blotting was used to assess the protein expressions of the leptin receptor (LepR) and the leptin-signaling pathway in the adipose tissues.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Our results suggested that mice fed oat or wheat bran fiber exhibited lower body weight, serum lipids, as well as insulin and leptin levels. The two cereal fibers potently increased the protein expressions of LepR in the adipose tissue. In addition, protein expressions of Janus kinase 2 (JAK2) and transcription 3 (STAT3) (induced by LepR), which enhances leptin signaling, were significantly higher and the expression of cytokine signaling-3 (SOCS3), which inhibits leptin signaling, was significantly lower in the two cereal fiber groups than in the HFD group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Taken together, our findings suggest that cereal fiber can improve leptin resistance and sensitivity by the JAK2/STAT3 pathway in C57BL/6J mice fed a HFD; furthermore, oat fiber is more effective in the improvement of leptin sensitivity than wheat bran fiber, in this murine model.
authors.affiliation: Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Preventive and Translational Medicine for Geriatric Disease, Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, School of Public Health, Soochow University, Suzhou, China.
authors.forename: Ru
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Preventive and Translational Medicine for Geriatric Disease, Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, School of Public Health, Soochow University, Suzhou, China.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jiao
authors.affiliation: Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Preventive and Translational Medicine for Geriatric Disease, Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, School of Public Health, Soochow University, Suzhou, China.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Preventive and Translational Medicine for Geriatric Disease, Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, School of Public Health, Soochow University, Suzhou, China.
authors.forename: Zheng
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: DSM Nutritional Products Human Nutrition and Health, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Weiguo
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Preventive and Translational Medicine for Geriatric Disease, Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, School of Public Health, Soochow University, Suzhou, China; qinliqiang@suda.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Li-Qiang
authors.initials: LQ
authors.lastname: Qin
authors.affiliation: Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Preventive and Translational Medicine for Geriatric Disease, Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, School of Public Health, Soochow University, Suzhou, China; sfhan@suda.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Shu-Fen
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Han
keywords: cereal fiber; high-fat/cholesterol diet; leptin resistance; leptin signaling