The influence of physical exercise on steatosis, cardiac hypertrophy and insulin resistance in mice with severe generalized lipoatrophy

• Grant number: 24/05968-8
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: June 01, 2024
• End date: May 31, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Physiology - Physiology of Organs and Systems
• Principal Investigator: William Tadeu Lara Festuccia
• Grantee: Rhaissa Klaumann de Souza
• Host Institution: Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas (ICB). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Lipodystrophy is defined as a heterogeneous group of diseases characterized by a partial or complete reduction in body fat mass. It is associated, by unknown mechanisms, with the development of various metabolic complications such as insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, hypertension, hepatic steatosis and atherosclerosis. Previous studies have shown that adiponectin and leptin administration to humans and mice and intake of omega 3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in mice attenuate some of the metabolic complications associated with lipodystrophy. Despite its general reccomendation to partial lipodystrophy, the effects of physical exercise in individuals affected by generalized lipodystrophy are unknown. Thus, the aim of this study is to investigate the impact of aerobic physical training in the hepatic steatosis, insulin resistance and cardiac hyperthrophy in mice with severe lipoatrophy induced by PPAR³ deletion in adipocytes (A-PPAR³ KO). For this, A-PPAR³ KO and littermates controls (A-PPAR³ WT) will undertake aerobic training (treadmill run, 50-60% of maximal capacity, 3 times per week, 60 min duration during 8 weeks) or not (sedentary group) evaluated for body weight and composition, food intake, glucose homeostasis (GTT and ITT), liver, muscle and heart insulin signaling, liver mass, histology and contents of triacylglycerol, cholesterol and glycogen, heart mass and morphology.