Effects of Taurine Supplementation Upon Food Intake and Central Insulin Signaling in Malnourished Mice Fed on a High-Fat Diet - Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology - page 89

Chapter 10
Effects of Taurine Supplementation Upon Food
Intake and Central Insulin Signaling
in Malnourished Mice Fed on a High-Fat Diet
Rafael L. Camargo , Thiago M. Batista , Rosane A. Ribeiro , Lício A. Velloso ,
Antônio C. Boschero , and Everardo M. Carneiro
Abstract Feeding behavior is a major determinant of body composition, adiposity,
and glucose homeostasis. Both obesity and malnutrition are risk factors for the meta-
bolic syndrome and are associated with altered food intake. Here we assessed the
effects of taurine (TAU) supplementation upon adiposity, food intake, and central
insulin signaling in malnourished mice fed on a high-fat diet (HFD). Weaned male
C57BL/6 mice were fed a control (14% protein-C) or a protein-restricted (6% pro-
tein-R) diet. After 6 weeks, both groups received or not HFD for 8 weeks (CH and
RH). Half of the HFD groups were supplemented with 5% TAU (CHT and RHT).
Both HFD groups were overweight and showed increased perigonadal and retroperi-
toneal fat pads. TAU supplementation attenuated obesity in CHT but not in RHT
mice. HFD induced hypercholesterolemia and glucose intolerance, although only
CH group presented fasting hyperglycemia. TAU supplementation also improved
glucose homeostasis only in CHT mice. Western blot analysis showed a reduction of
55% in CH hypothalamic content of phosphorylated IRS-1 (pIRS-1) at basal condi-
tion compared with C. TAU treatment increased 35% Akt phosphorylation levels in
CHT without modification in RHT hypothalamus. However, TAU supplementation
did not alter hypothalamic pIRS-1 amount. CH and RH mice presented increased
calorie intake that was normalized in CHT but not in RHT. In conclusion, mice fed
on an HFD developed obesity, hypercholesterolemia, glucose intolerance, and
R. L. Camargo ( * ) ￿ T. M. Batista ￿ A. C. Boschero ￿ E. M. Carneiro
Departamento de Biologia Funcional e Estrutural, Instituto de Biologia,
Universidade Estadual de Campinas , SP , Brazil
e-mail: [e-mail]
R. A. Ribeiro
Núcleo em Ecologia e Desenvolvimento Sócio-Ambiental de Macaé (NUPEM),
Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) , Macaé , RJ , Brazil
L. A. Velloso
Departamento de Clínica Médicas , Faculdade de Ciências Médicas,
Universidade Estadual de Campinas , SP , Brazil