BRANCHED CHAIN AMINO ACIDS SUPPLEMENTATION OF DRINKING WATER AND DIET INDUCED OBESITY
Open Access
- Author:
- Nairizi, Ali
- Graduate Program:
- Physiology
- Degree:
- Master of Science
- Document Type:
- Master Thesis
- Date of Defense:
- None
- Committee Members:
- Dr Christopher J Lynch, Thesis Advisor/Co-Advisor
Christopher J Lynch, Thesis Advisor/Co-Advisor - Keywords:
- BRANCHED CHAIN AMINO AICDS
OBESITY - Abstract:
- Recent studies have implicated amino acids, branched chain amino acids (BCAAs), or Leu alone in improvements of adiposity, body weight control, insulin sensitivity or energy expenditure in humans and rodent models. However others studies have suggested that some of the signaling pathways activated by BCAAs might have negative consequences for obesity and insulin resistance. Therefore it is unclear whether BCAA or Leu supplementation would be beneficial. To begin to address this question we examined the effect of drinking water supplementation of Leu or BCAAs on the development of diet induced obesity (DIO) in C57BL6/J mice. The amino acids were supplemented at close to their saturating concentrations in the drinking water and DIO was induced by feeding a 60% high fat diet. Body weight and food intake, insulin sensitivity, fasting glucose, metabolic rate, body composition and total cholesterol were evaluated. Leu supplementation of drinking water led to a modest but significant rise in fed but not fasted plasma Leu concentrations. However, neither Leu nor BCAA supplementation of drinking water was found to significantly alter body weight increases or food intake during 14 weeks on the high fat diet. Other endpoints such as body composition, insulin sensitivity, cholesterol and energy expenditure were also not affected. Fasting plasma glucose was lower on some days but not others. Taken together the results fail to provide evidence that Leu or BCAAs supplementation of drinking water alone prevents DIO in mice.