Abstract

BackgroundHabitual exercise and dietary restriction are commonly recommended to prevent or ameliorate obesity and lifestyle-related diseases, including fatty liver. This study investigated the effects of habitual exercise and dietary restriction on hepatic triglyceride (TG) levels, serum leptin levels, and histological adipocyte size in periepididymal adipose tissue from Zucker fatty (ZF) rats.MethodsSix-week-old male ZF rats were randomly assigned to one of three groups: sedentary (Sed), sedentary and dietary restriction (Sed + DR), and training and dietary restriction (Tr + DR). Male Zucker lean (L) rats were used as control animals. All rats had access to water and the allowed quantity of food ad libitum. The rats in the Sed + DR and Tr + DR groups were fed a 30% restricted diet, while those in the Tr + DR group exercised voluntarily on a wheel ergometer. After 12 weeks, the rats were sacrificed for a histological examination of their liver and periepididymal adipose tissue. Hepatic and serum TG, serum total cholesterol, glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase, glutamic-pyruvic transaminase, free fatty acid, and leptin levels were also measured.ResultsThe hepatic TG levels were significantly higher in the Sed + DR group than in the L (P < 0.001) and Sed (P < 0.05) groups. By contrast, the hepatic TG levels in the Tr + DR group were significantly lower than those in the Sed (P < 0.05) and Sed + DR (P < 0.001) groups, but not significantly different from the L group values. The periepididymal adipocytes were significantly larger in the Sed, Sed + DR, and Tr + DR groups than in the L group (P < 0.001) and were significantly smaller in the Tr + DR group compared to the Sed and Sed + DR groups (P < 0.001).ConclusionsOur results suggest a relationship between lipid metabolism and the size of adipose cells in ZF rats. Exercising plays an important role in decreasing hepatic TG levels, serum leptin levels, and the size of adipose cells.

Highlights

  • Habitual exercise and dietary restriction are commonly recommended to prevent or ameliorate obesity and lifestyle-related diseases, including fatty liver

  • Background obesity increases the risk of fatty liver disease, hepatic fat accumulation can develop in non-obese individuals [1,2]

  • We found that the serum total cholesterol (T-CHO), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), free fatty acids (FFA), glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT), and glutamic-pyruvic transaminase (GPT) levels were lower in the Tr + Training + dietary restriction (DR) group than in the Sed + DR group

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Summary

Introduction

Habitual exercise and dietary restriction are commonly recommended to prevent or ameliorate obesity and lifestyle-related diseases, including fatty liver. This study investigated the effects of habitual exercise and dietary restriction on hepatic triglyceride (TG) levels, serum leptin levels, and histological adipocyte size in periepididymal adipose tissue from Zucker fatty (ZF) rats. The conditions associated with severe malnutrition (e.g., kwashiorkor) can cause fatty liver disease [3]. These observations suggest that excessive food intake and poor nutrition contribute to fat accumulation in the liver. Kurosaka et al BMC Research Notes (2015) 8:121 Both habitual exercise and dietary restriction contribute to weight loss. We recently characterized the effects of habitual exercise and/or diet restriction on hepatic fat accumulation in Zucker fatty (ZF) rats [10]. ZF rats have a mutation in the leptin receptor gene that causes increased appetite and weight gain; they are used as an animal model of obesity [11]

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