Scope To identify the age‐dependent effect of diets containing elevated amounts of either saturated or unsaturated fatty acids on cardiac steatosis in mice. Methods and Results Five‐ and eight‐week‐old C57BL/6J mice cohorts are given free access to either a saturated or an unsaturated fatty‐acid‐enriched diet during 8 weeks. Body weight (BW) and food intake are monitored during this period. Cardiac lipid content, carnitine palmitoyltransferase‐I (CPT‐I) activity, and the amount of uncoupling proteins 2 and 3 (UCP2 and UCP3) are analyzed and correlated with blood leptin concentration. Leptin and PPARγ gene expression is quantified in white adipose tissue (WAT). Both diets have a similar effect on food intake, BW, and adiposity, independently of the age. Nevertheless, cardiac steatosis is specifically identified in adolescent mice consuming the saturated diet. These animals also display lower activity of cardiac CPT‐I, a down‐regulation of cardiac UCP2, together with lower concentration of plasma leptin. Accordingly, leptin gene expression is reduced in the visceral WAT. Conclusion Consumption of diets containing elevated amounts of saturated fat during adolescence and early adult life promotes cardiac steatosis in mice. An insufficient endocrine activity of WAT, in terms of leptin production, may account for such an effect.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.