Effects Of Short-term Ketogenic Dieting Or Ketone Salt Supplementation Lipogenic Gene Expression Adipose Tissue

Abstract

PURPOSE: We sought to examine if one week of ketogenic diet (KD) or ketone salt supplementation (KS) feeding versus standard chow (SC) feeding affected the mRNA signature related to de novo lipogenesis in subcutaneous and visceral (mesenteric) adipose tissue. METHODS: Male Fisher rats (4 mo old) were provided isocaloric amounts of KD (5.2 kcal/g, 23.1% protein, 9.6% carbohydrate, and 65.3% fat, n=10) or SC (3.1 kcal/g, 24% protein, 58% carbohydrate, 18% fat; n=30) for 7 days. The SC rats were split into sub-groups whereby one group was provided a moderate amount of KS in their drinking water (SC+MKS ~1.2g/day, n=10), one group was provided a high amount of KS in their drinking water (SC+HKS ~2.4g/day, n=10), and one group was un-supplemented (SC, n=10). RESULTS: The KD group lost the greatest mass (p<0.01). Feed efficiency revealed a group effect (p<0.01) with the lowest values observed in KD. A group effect was also observed for mesenteric (MES) fat (p=0.05). Subcutaneous (SQ) fat mass was not different between groups (p=0.07). In the MES fat pad FASN mRNA was down regulated in KD and both KS groups (p=0.001). HSL and CEBPα mRNAs were not differentially expressed (p=0.16 and p=0.51, respectively). ACCα was down-regulated in KD and KS groups (p=0.001). Regarding the SQ fat pad, only FASN mRNA was found to be differentially expressed (down-regulated in the KD and KS groups; p=0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The KD appears to offer an acute benefit to body mass loss, predominantly acting on visceral fat depots.