Effects of different diets (low protein and high fat diet) on spontaneous physical activity and hypothalamic expression of genes related to energy homeostasis in mice

• Grant number: 13/01624-8
• Support type: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Effective date (Start): June 01, 2013
• Effective date (End): May 31, 2015
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Physiology - Physiology of Organs and Systems
• Principal researcher: Camila Aparecida Machado de Oliveira
• Grantee: Thais Ludmilla Moretto
• Home Institution: Instituto de Saúde e Sociedade (ISS). Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP). Campus Baixada Santista. Santos , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 11/05932-3 - Molecular mechanisms involved in the modulation of spontaneous physical activity and development of obesity, AP.JP

Abstract

Obesity results from a chronic imbalance between energy intake and expenditure, favoring a positive energy balance. Even though physical activity may alter body weight as efficiently as food intake, the mechanisms underlying its control are not well understood. The implications of a sedentary life style extend beyond obesity, and include diabetes mellitus, coronary artery disease, some cancers and premature mortality, so that 1.3 million deaths per year would be prevented by reducing physical inactivity globally in 25%. In this way, it's evident the importance of studies aiming to understand the mechanisms that regulate physical activity. Physical activity is classified in voluntary exercise (sports, gym), and spontaneous physical activity (SPA - body movements to perform routine tasks), which can represent more than 50% of total daily energy expenditure. In this study, our aim is to characterize the acute (the first 48 hours after the beginning of the diet) and chronic (throughout the experiment) SPA of C57bl/6j mice fed a low (6%) protein or a high (34%) fat diet during 12 weeks. As low protein and high fat diet seems to have opposite effects upon SPA, we expect to find also opposite patterns in the expression of genes related to energy homeostasis (PCR Array) and in the insulin and leptin signaling pathway (Western Blot) on hypothalamus. Insulin sensitivity (through the insulin tolerance test) and the plasmatic concentration (ELISA) of insulin, leptin and proinflammatory cytokines (IL-1a, TNF-a) will also be evaluated. Thereby, we expect to identify candidates involved in SPA regulation as well as to characterize the acute and chronic effects of low protein or high fat diet upon SPA.

Scientific publications

(4)

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

DE CARVALHO, FRANCINE PEREIRA; MORETTO, THAIS LUDMILLA; BENFATO, IZABELLE DIAS; BARTHICHOTO, MARCELA; FERREIRA, SANDRA MARA; COSTA-JUNIOR, JOSE MARIA; MACHADO DE OLIVEIRA, CAMILA APARECIDA. Central and peripheral effects of physical exercise without weight reduction in obese and lean mice. BIOSCIENCE REPORTS, v. 38, n. 2 APR 27 2018. Web of Science Citations: 5.

BENFATO, IZABELLE DIAS; MORETTO, THAIS LUDMILLA; DE CARVALHO, FRANCINE PEREIRA; BARTHICHOTO, MARCELA; FERREIRA, SANDRA MARA; COSTA JUNIOR, JOSE MARIA; LAZZARIN, MARIANA CRUZ; DE OLIVEIRA, FLAVIA; MARTINEZ, CAROLINA; DE FRANCA CARVALHO, CAROLINA PRADO; MACHADO DE OLIVEIRA, CAMILA APARECIDA. Spontaneous physical activity and mediators of energy homeostasis in the hypothalamus of mice from 4 to 10 months of age. Experimental Physiology, v. 102, n. 11, p. 1524-1534, NOV 1 2017. Web of Science Citations: 0.

MORETTO, THAIS LUDMILLA; BENFATO, IZABELLE DIAS; DE CARVALHO, FRANCINE PEREIRA; BARTHICHOTO, MARCELA; LE SUEUR-MALUF, LUCIANA; MACHADO DE OLIVEIRA, CAMILA APARECIDA. The effects of calorie-matched high-fat diet consumption on spontaneous physical activity and development of obesity. Life Sciences, v. 179, p. 30-36, JUN 15 2017. Web of Science Citations: 7.

DE CARVALHO, FRANCINE PEREIRA; BENFATO, IZABELLE DIAS; MORETTO, THAIS LUDMILLA; BARTHICHOTO, MARCELA; MACHADO DE OLIVEIRA, CAMILA APARECIDA. Voluntary running decreases nonexercise activity in lean and diet-induced obese mice. Physiology & Behavior, v. 165, p. 249-256, OCT 15 2016. Web of Science Citations: 10.