Evaluation of the effects of Tauroursodeoxycholic Acid (TUDCA) on energy homeostasis and morphofunction of brown adipose tissue in mice subjected to protein restriction and fed a high-fat diet.

• Grant number: 24/09075-8
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: August 01, 2024
• End date: July 31, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Physiology - Physiology of Organs and Systems
• Principal Investigator: Everardo Magalhães Carneiro
• Grantee: Lívia Terumi Odo Lopes
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biologia (IB). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 18/26080-4 - Characterization of molecular and functional mechanisms involved in endocrine-metabolic, cardiovascular and neural dysfunctions induced by the restriction of amino acids in vitro and in vivo: possible therapeutic role of bile acid TUDCA, AP.TEM

Abstract

Malnutrition is defined as a nutritional imbalance of macro and/or micronutrients, resulting in undernutrition or overnutrition. Intrauterine and/or postnatal malnutrition triggers an imbalance in energy homeostasis, enabling the individual, in adulthood, to develop diseases such as obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disorders. The association between malnutrition and obesity is called double burden of malnutrition (DBM). It has already been demonstrated in rodents that the association between childhood malnutrition and obesity in adulthood led to molecular changes in BAT, which contributed to greater weight gain and metabolic impairments. Adipose tissue is a complex organ with several functions, notably its endocrine action that regulates energy homeostasis. Brown adipose tissue (BAT), for example, contributes to increased energy expenditure and metabolic regulation, mainly due to its thermogenic action. Therefore, the search for therapies that aim to normalize BAT function in DBM is of utmost importance. Tauroursodeoxycholic acid (TUDCA) has been used as a therapeutic alternative for the treatment of obesity and associated metabolic dysfunctions, resulting in a decrease in body weight and adiposity. Therefore, in this project we will evaluate the effects of TUDCA on energy expenditure and morphofunction of white and brown adipose tissue in mice subjected to protein restriction and fed a high-fat diet.