Background: The prevalence of obesity has increased dramatically. A direct comparison in the predisposition to obesity between males, premenopausal females, and postmenopausal females with various caloric intakes has not been made. To determine the effects of sex and ovarian hormones on the susceptibility to obesity, we conducted laboratory studies with mice. To eliminate confounders that can alter body weight gain, such as age and food consumption; we used mice with the same age and controlled the amount of calories they consumed.
Objective: Alcohol consumption promotes insulin sensitivity. In obesity, a decrease in body fat levels decreases the risk of developing insulin resistance; therefore, it is possible that alcohol improves insulin sensitivity by negatively affecting body fat. The aim of this study was to determine whether alcohol consumption promotes insulin sensitivity by reducing body fat levels in C57BL/6 male mice. Methods: We examined the effects of alcohol consumption on insulin sensitivity in male mice with three different body weight (BW) phenotypes. The BWs were induced by feeding the mice a 30% calorie-restricted (CR) regimen, a low-fat (LF) diet and a high-fat (HF) diet. The mice had free access to water or 20% ethanol in the drinking water. To determine the effects of the three different BW phenotypes and of alcohol on glucose regulation and insulin sensitivity, we performed the insulin tolerance test (ITT) and glucose tolerance test (GTT) on the mice. The effects of the diets and alcohol on body composition, percent body fat (% BF), percent lean mass and bone mineral density (BMD) were determined by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA). Results: Data show that mice with the highest body fat levels (HF) were insulin resistant and glucose intolerant. In contrast, mice with the lowest body fat levels (CR) were the most insulin sensitive and cleared the injected endogenous glucose the fastest. Results show that alcohol did not affect GTT in any of the BW phenotypes. However, alcohol consumption promoted insulin sensitivity in mice consuming both the LF and HF diets. Alcohol consumption increased insulin sensitivity without affecting body fat levels, as body fat levels were similar in mice consuming the LF or HF diets and drinking either water or alcohol. Conclusions: Alcohol consumption promotes insulin sensitivity without affecting body fat levels in mice consuming LF and HF diets.
Background: The prevalence of obese adult women has increased dramatically in the United States. Individuals consuming alcoholic beverages may obtain as much as 6–10% of their calories from ethanol; consequently, ethanol may contribute to a positive energy balance and weight gain in women consuming ethanol. The objective of these studies is to determine if ethanol consumption affects weight gain or body fat levels in female mice. Methods: In order to determine the effects of ethanol consumption on weight gain, female mice were given either water or 20% w/v ethanol in the drinking water; mice were then placed on 1 of 3 diets for 20 weeks: (1) 30% calorie-restricted diet, (2) low-fat diet or (3) high-fat diet. Mice were scanned using a GE Lunar Piximus Densitometer to determine body fat, lean body mass and bone mineral density. Results: Mice consuming the high-fat diet had the highest body weight. Moreover, ovariectomy exacerbated the effects of the high-fat diet. That is, ovariectomized female mice consuming the high-fat diet gained a higher amount of body weight and adipose tissue than nonovariectomized mice consuming the high-fat diet. Ethanol-consuming mice did not have a higher susceptibility to gaining body weight or body fat, even though they tended to have higher caloric intake than water-consuming mice. Conclusions: In female mice that consumed a high-fat diet, chronic ethanol consumption did not increase susceptibility to gaining weight or becoming obese.
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