Sex differences in the development of hepatic steatosis in cafeteria diet-induced obesity in young mice

Fabiana Rodrigues Silva Gasparin, Fernando Olinto Carreño, Juliana Moraes Mewes, Eduardo Hideo Gilglioni, Clairce Luzia Salgueiro Pagadigorria, Maria Raquel Marçal Natali, Karina Sayuri Utsunomiya, Rodrigo Polimeni Constantin, Amanda Tomie Ouchida, Carlos Curti, Ingrid C. Gaemers, Ronald Petrus Johannes Oude Elferink, Jorgete Constantin, Emy Luiza Ishii-Iwamoto

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Abstract

The present study was planned to improve our understanding about sex differences in the development of hepatic steatosis in cafeteria diet-induced obesity in young mice. Female (FCaf) and male (MCaf) mice fed a cafeteria diet had similar body weight gain and adiposity index, but FCaf had a more extensive steatosis than MCaf. FCaf livers exhibited a higher non-alcoholic fatty liver disease activity score, elevated lipid percentage area (+34%) in Sudan III staining and increased TG content (+25%) compared to MCaf. Steatosis in FCaf was not correlated with changes in the transcript levels of lipid metabolism-related genes, but a reduced VLDL release rate was observed. Signs of oxidative stress were found in FCaf livers, as elevated malondialdehyde content (+110%), reduced catalase activity (−36%) and increased Nrf2 and Hif1a mRNA expression compared to MCaf. Interestingly, fibroblast growth factor 21 (Fgf21) mRNA expression was found to be exclusively induced in MCaf, which also exhibited higher FGF21 serum levels (+416%) and hepatic protein abundance (+163%) than FCaf. Moreover, cafeteria diet increased Fgfr1, Fsp27 and Ucp1 mRNA expression in brown adipose tissue of males (MCaf), but not females (FCaf). FGF21 hepatic production by male mice seems to be part of a complex network of responses to the nutritional stress of the cafeteria diet, probably related to the unfolded protein response activation. Although aimed at the restoration of hepatic metabolic homeostasis, the branch involving Fgf21 upregulation seems to be impaired in females, rendering them incapable of reducing the hepatic lipid content and cellular oxidative stress.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)2495-2509
JournalBiochimica et Biophysica Acta-Molecular Basis of Disease
Volume1864
Issue number7
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2018

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