Abstract
ObjectiveThe G-protein coupled receptor family C group 6 member A (GPRC6A) is activated by proteinogenic amino acids and may sense amino acids in the gastrointestinal tract and the brain. The study investigated whether GPRC6A was necessary for the effects of low- and high-protein diets on body weight and food intake in mice.MethodsThe role of GPRC6A in mediating the effects of a low-protein diet on body weight was investigated in GPRC6a knockout (GPRC6a-KO) and wild-type (WT) mice fed a control diet (18% protein) or a low-protein diet (6% protein) for 9 days. The role of GPRC6A in mediating the effects of a high-protein diet on body weight was investigated in GPRC6a-KO and WT mice fed a control diet (18% protein) or a high-protein diet (50% protein) for 5 weeks.ResultsA high-protein diet reduced body weight gain and food intake compared with a control diet in both WT and GPRC6a-KO mice. A low-protein diet decreased body weight gain in GPRC6a-KO mice.ConclusionsGPRC6A was not necessary for the effects of a low- or high-protein diet on body weight and likely does not play a role in protein-induced satiety.
Highlights
Protein has a powerful satiating effect that is greater than that of carbohydrate or fat [1]
We investigated the acute and chronic effects of altered dietary protein concentrations on food intake and body weight in wild-type (WT) and GPRC6a-KO mice to assess the putative role played by GPRC6A in modulating protein-induced changes in energy homeostasis
GPRC6A can act as a nutrient sensing receptor detecting L-amino acids and has been suggested to regulate energy homeostasis in response to protein intake
Summary
Protein has a powerful satiating effect that is greater than that of carbohydrate or fat [1]. High-protein diets reduce food intake, facilitate weight loss, and improve body composition in both humans and animal models [2,3], but they are difficult to adhere to. Rodents have been shown to avoid low-protein diets, resulting in reduced body weight when ad libitum fed such a diet [4]. Feeding rodents diets moderately low in protein can cause initial periods of reduced food intake, followed by a subsequent increase in food intake and body fat which is thought to reflect a drive to increase protein intake [5,6]. Several possibilities have been proposed [8], the precise mechanisms by which protein intake is sensed in order to modulate appetite remain to be elucidated [9]. Exploiting the systems by which protein suppresses appetite may be a viable approach to the treatment of obesity [2]
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