In vivo hypothalamic autophagy modulation in response to acute stimulus interesterified lipids

• Grant number: 22/02128-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Master's degree
• Start date: October 01, 2022
• End date: March 31, 2023
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Nutrition - Nutrition Biochemistry
• Principal Investigator: Marciane Milanski Ferreira
• Grantee: Beatriz Piatezzi Siqueira
• Supervisor: Rajat Singh
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Aplicadas (FCA). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Limeira , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Albert Einstein College of Medicine, United States
• Associated to the scholarship: 21/01322-8 - Evaluation of the effects of interesterified fat on molecular mechanisms involved in the central control of energy homeostasis, BP.MS

Abstract

The consumption of fatty acids seems to be an important factor for the development and progression of obesity. Recently, studies have shown that a crucial process for maintaining the functionality of hypothalamic neurons and subsequent control of body energy balance known as autophagy appears to be involved in the pathogenesis of obesity. Autophagy is a catabolic process, which aims to maintain cellular integrity through the degradation and recycling of cytosolic components and damaged organelles, contributing to hypothalamic homeostasis. Recently, it was demonstrated that there is dysregulation in the hypothalamic autophagic process in models of chronic obesity induced by high fat diet (HFD). Interesterified fat is obtained by the interesterification process, which is performed through chemical or enzymatic methods, rearranging the fatty acids of the glycerol molecule, without changing their degree of saturation. Approximately 95% of dietary fat is composed of triacylglycerols. Due to the high intake of modified fatty acids, especially saturated, trans and interesterified fat, the metabolism presents important changes, impairing the hypothalamic control of energy homeostasis. However, it is unknown whether interesterified fat consumption is related to autophagy modulation. Therefore, the objective of this project is to assess in vivo hypothalamic autophagy modulation after acute stimulus with interesterified lipids. Male wild-type C57B6 mice will be fed a diet composed of palm oil (PO; POHF) and interesterified palm oil (IPO; IPOHF) for this purpose. Our goal is to understand the effect of interesterified fat on cellular processes that control energy homeostasis such as autophagy and other associated processes. (AU)