The impact of a high-fat diet in the response to a beta-3 adrenergic agonist in three strains of mice

• Grant number: 21/15062-8
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: September 01, 2022
• End date: February 29, 2024
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Medicine
• Principal Investigator: Licio Augusto Velloso
• Grantee: Ana Luísa Gallo Ferraz
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Médicas (FCM). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 13/07607-8 - OCRC - Obesity and Comorbidities Research Center, AP.CEPID

Abstract

In recent decades, there has been a global increase in the number of overweight and obese people, conditions that predispose to the development of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and other metabolic disorders that put the population's quality of life and longevity at risk. Several studies have shown that increased intake of high-fat diets is one of the main determinants of obesity. Furthermore, the excessive consumption of saturated fatty acids can induce the activation of a chronic and subclinical inflammatory response that affects the hypothalamus and several peripheral organs, contributing to the development of insulin resistance. The identification of active brown adipose tissue (BAT) in adult humans raised expectations about its possible role as a therapeutic target for obesity and metabolic diseases, because when active, it promotes energy expenditure and consumption of metabolic substrates such as fatty acids and glucose. Different stimuli, such as physical exercise, consumption of monounsaturated fatty acids and pharmacological intervention with beta 3 adrenergic receptor agonists can promote BAT stimulation and have been studied with a view to the development of therapeutic advances in the aforementioned conditions. However, little is known about the genetic impact of these drugs on BAT activation. Therefore, the objective of this project is to evaluate the response to beta 3- adrenergic agonist in mice previous stimulated to environmental factors that are known to control thermogenesis, such as diet and temperature, and how this modulate BAT activity in three genetically distinct strains of mice, Balb, C57 and Swiss.