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Horm Metab Res 2002; 34(4): 176-181
DOI: 10.1055/s-2002-26707
Original Basic

© Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart · New York

Dietary Modulation of Circulating Leptin Levels: Site-Specific Changes in Fat Deposition and Ob mRNA Expression

C.  G.  Walker1 , J.  M.  Bryson1 , J.  L.  Phuyal1 , I.  D.  Caterson1
  • 1Human Nutrition Unit, Department of Biochemistry, University of Sydney, Australia
Further Information

Publication History

21 August 2001

10 January 2002

Publication Date:
30 April 2002 (online)

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Abstract

In order to study the effects of diet on fat distribution, circulating leptin levels and ob mRNA expression, diets of different macronutrient composition were fed to lean mice and gold thioglucose-obese mice. A high-fat diet and 2 high-carbohydrate diets, one containing mostly high-glycaemic-index starch and the other containing low-glycaemic-index starch were fed ad libitum for 10 weeks and were compared to standard laboratory chow. Weight gain was attenuated by feeding low-glycaemic-index starch in all mice and by feeding a high-fat diet in lean mice. Reduced adiposity was seen in lean mice fed low-glycaemic-index starch, whereas increased adiposity was seen in both lean and obese mice fed on the high-fat diet. Circulating leptin levels, when corrected for adiposity, were decreased in all mice fed either the high-fat diet or the low-GI diet. In epididymal fat pads, decreased ob mRNA expression was seen after both high-fat and high-glycaemic-index starch feeding. These results show that diet macronutrient composition contributes to the variability of circulating leptin levels by the combined effects of diet on fat distribution and on site-specific changes in ob mRNA expression.

Key words

Macronutrient Composition - Glycaemic Index - Obesity - Insulin Resistance

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Janet Bryson

Human Nutrition Unit · Dept of Biochemistry · University of Sydney

Sydney NSW 2006 · Australia ·

Phone: + 61 (2) 93 516 267

Fax: + 61 (2) 93 516 022

Email: j.bryson@biochem.usyd.edu.au