Upregulation of uncoupling proteins by oral administration of capsiate, a nonpungent capsaicin analog

Abstract

Capsiate is a nonpungent capsaicin analog, a recently identified principle of the nonpungent red pepper cultivar CH-19 Sweet. In the present study, we report that 2-wk treatment of capsiate increased metabolic rate and promoted fat oxidation at rest, suggesting that capsiate may prevent obesity. To explain these effects, at least in part, we examined uncoupling proteins (UCPs) and thyroid hormones. UCPs and thyroid hormones play important roles in energy expenditure, the maintenance of body weight, and thermoregulation. Two-week treatment of capsiate increased the levels of UCP1 protein and mRNA in brown adipose tissue and UCP2 mRNA in white adipose tissue. This dose of capsiate did not change serum triiodothyronine or thyroxine levels. A single dose of capsiate temporarily raised both UCP1 mRNA in brown adipose tissue and UCP3 mRNA in skeletal muscle. These results suggest that UCP1 and UCP2 may contribute to the promotion of energy metabolism by capsiate, but that thyroid hormones do not.

Capsiate administration results in an uncoupling protein-3 downregulation, an enhanced muscle oxidative capacity and a decreased abdominal fat content in vivo

“…In an earlier study conducted in mice, it has been reported that a daily administration of capsiate (10 mg kg À1 body weight) during a 2-week period did not change UCP3 gene expression. 12 Several potential confounding factors such as species and the capsiate concentration could explain this discrepancy.…”

“…9 The capsiate-mediated increase in catecholamine secretion could enhance energy metabolism and activate the hormone-sensitive lipase and the hydrolysis of white adipose tissue, an important energy store with a key role, more particularly in small animals, in the control of body weight. In addition, this 2-week capsiate ingestion protocol has been linked to an increased UCP1 gene expression, an increased fat oxidation at rest accounting for the increased energy turnover 12 and a reduced body fat accumulation. 9 On that basis, in addition to the downregulation of UCP3, a UCP1 overexpression might also be linked to the capsiate-mediated metabolic changes reported in the present study.…”

“…12 Abdominal fat volume measurement Magnetic resonance imaging acquisitions were performed using a whole-body imaging coil (PRK 200 RES 200; Brüker). Noncontiguous axial imaging slices (3 mm thickness, 5 mm spaced) were selected across the entire body length excluding the tail.…”

Capsiate, a Nonpungent Capsaicin Analog, Increases Endurance Swimming Capacity of Mice by Stimulation of Vanilloid Receptors

“…6,7) In addition, chronic administration of capsiate increased the energy expenditure in mice at rest by upregulating the uncoupling proteins in brown adipose tissue. 21) Each value is the mean AE SEM (n ¼ 5{6). ÃÃ Significantly different from the capsaicin group, P < 0:01, by Student's unpaired t-test.…”

Effects of CH-19 Sweet, a Non-Pungent Cultivar of Red Pepper, in Decreasing the Body Weight and Suppressing Body Fat Accumulation by Sympathetic Nerve Activation in Humans

“…We selected a treatment period of two weeks for CH-19 Sweet intake, based on our previous results from animal experiments. 9,11) This short intake period was also selected to minimize the stress on the subjects as much as possible. Nevertheless, we thought it highly likely that statistically significant differences would appear within this test period for the following reasons: First, in a previous study, we found that capsiate administration for two weeks clearly decreased the body fat in mice.…”