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Clinical Studies and Practice

Dietary medium-chain saturated fatty acids induce gene expression of energy metabolism-related pathways in adipose tissue of abdominally obese subjects

International Journal of Obesity volume 41, pages 1348–1354 (2017)Cite this article

Subjects

Abstract

Background:

Dietary medium-chain saturated fatty acids (MC-SFAs) have been shown to reduce total body fat. Previously, we showed that MC-SFAs prevent body fat accumulation, despite weight gain. Here, we aim to explore potential molecular mechanisms underlying the protective effect of MC-SFAs on body fat gain.

Methods:

The DairyHealth study examined the long-term effects of milk protein and milk fat with a low or high content of MC-SFA. In this 12 week, randomized, double-blind, diet intervention study, participants consumed 60 g milk protein (whey or casein) and 63 g milk fat (high MC-SFA or low MC-SFA) daily in a two by two factorial design. We used microarrays to measure whole genome gene expression changes in subcutaneous adipose tissue in a subpopulation of 12 participants, 6 in the low MC-SFA+casein group and 6 in the high MC-SFA+casein group. Gene expression of several genes that were found to be changed by MC-SFAs was confirmed in the full study population using qPCR.

Results:

High MC-SFA resulted in an upregulation of gene expression related to citric acid cycle and oxidative phosphorylation, and a downregulation of gene expression related to complement system and inflammation.

Conclusions:

We hypothesize that the beneficial effects of MC-SFAs on prevention of fat accumulation are mediated via increased gene expression related to energy metabolism in the adipose tissue. Decreases in inflammation-related gene expression may have beneficial effects in relation to cardiometabolic diseases.

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Acknowledgements

MB, SG, KH, and LAA: designed the trial; MB: conducted the trial; JCM and LAA: designed the research; JCM: conducted the research, analyzed the data and wrote the manuscript; and MB, SG, KH and LAA: critically reviewed the manuscript. This work was supported by the Danish Council for Strategic Research (DSF 0603-004193), Arla Foods Ingredients Group P/S and the Danish Dairy Research Foundation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Human Nutrition, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands

    J C Matualatupauw & L A Afman

  2. Microbiology and Systems Biology, TNO, Zeist, The Netherlands

    J C Matualatupauw

  3. Department of Endocrinology and Internal Medicine, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark

    M Bohl, S Gregersen & K Hermansen

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  1. J C Matualatupauw
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Correspondence to L A Afman.

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Supplementary Information accompanies this paper on International Journal of Obesity website

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Matualatupauw, J., Bohl, M., Gregersen, S. et al. Dietary medium-chain saturated fatty acids induce gene expression of energy metabolism-related pathways in adipose tissue of abdominally obese subjects. Int J Obes 41, 1348–1354 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1038/ijo.2017.120

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