Abstract
Objective
Nonnutritive sweeteners (NNSs) have been studied in terms of their potential roles
in type 2 diabetes, obesity, and related metabolic disorders. Several studies have
suggested that NNSs have several specific effects on metabolism such as reduced postprandial
hyperglycemia and insulin resistance. However, the detailed effects of NNSs on body
adiposity and energy metabolism have not been fully elucidated. We investigated the
effects of an NNS on energy metabolism in mice with diet-induced obesity (DIO).
Methods
DIO mice were divided into NNS-administered (4% NNS in drinking water), sucrose-administered
(33% sucrose in drinking water), and control (normal water) groups. After supplementation
for 4 weeks, metabolic parameters, including uncoupling protein (UCP) levels and energy
expenditure, were assessed.
Results
Sucrose supplementation increased hyperglycemia, body adiposity, and body weight compared
to the NNS-administered and control groups (P < 0.05 for each). In addition, NNS supplementation decreased hyperglycemia compared
to the sucrose-administered group (P < 0.05). Interestingly, NNS supplementation increased body adiposity, which was accompanied
by hyperinsulinemia, compared to controls (P < 0.05 for each). NNS also increased leptin levels in white adipose tissue and triglyceride
levels in tissues compared to controls (P < 0.05 for each). Notably, compared to controls, NNS supplementation decreased the UCP1
level in brown adipose tissue and decreased O2 consumption in the dark phase.
Conclusions
NNSs may be good sugar substitutes for people with hyperglycemia, but appear to influence
energy metabolism in DIO mice.
Abbreviations:
NNS (nonnutritive sweetener), DIO (diet-induced obesity), BAT (brown adipose tissue), WAT (white adipose tissue), UCP (uncoupling protein), MSL (skeletal muscle), TG (triglyceride), PPAR (peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor), PGC-1 (peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ coactivator 1), CPT-1 (carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1), FAS (fatty acid synthetase), POMC (proopiomelanocortin), NPY (neuropeptide Y)Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: October 21, 2013
Accepted:
September 4,
2013
Received:
April 16,
2013
Identification
Copyright
© 2014 Elsevier Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
