Protection from obesity in mice lacking the VLDL receptor.
It has previously been reported that mice lacking the VLDL receptor (VLDLR-/-) exhibit normal plasma lipid levels and a modest decrease in adipose tissue mass. In the present study, the effect of VLDLR deficiency on profound weight gain was studied in mice. Obesity was induced either by feeding of a high-fat, high-calorie (HFC) diet or by crossbreeding mice onto the genetically obese ob/ob background. After 17 weeks of HFC feeding, VLDLR-/- mice remained lean, whereas their wild-type littermates (VLDLR+/+) became obese. Similarly, the weight gain of ob/ob mice was less profound in the absence of the VLDLR. Moreover, VLDLR deficiency led to increased plasma triglycerides after HFC feeding. The protection from obesity in VLDLR-/- mice involved decreased peripheral uptake of fatty acids, because VLDLR-/- mice exhibited a significant reduction in whole-body free fatty acid uptake, with no clear differences in food intake and fat absorption. These observations were supported by a strong decrease in average adipocyte size in VLDLR-/- mice of both obesity models, implying reduced adipocyte triglyceride storage in the absence of the VLDLR. These results suggest that the VLDLR plays a role in the delivery of VLDL-derived fatty acids into adipose tissue.[1]References
- Protection from obesity in mice lacking the VLDL receptor. Goudriaan, J.R., Tacken, P.J., Dahlmans, V.E., Gijbels, M.J., van Dijk, K.W., Havekes, L.M., Jong, M.C. Arterioscler. Thromb. Vasc. Biol. (2001) [Pubmed]
Annotations and hyperlinks in this abstract are from individual authors of WikiGenes or automatically generated by the WikiGenes Data Mining Engine. The abstract is from MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.About WikiGenesOpen Access LicencePrivacy PolicyTerms of Useapsburg